I’m old enough to be dismayed/alarmed about insects. They used to “plaster” our 1956 Buick’s windshield on Sunday drives as a kid. Virtually none now, though. And noticeably less insects just flying around in spring & summer…far fewer grasshoppers, butterflies and moths. Studies suggest decimation of approximately 75% (!!) of insect biomass globally, just in my lifetime. And 9% annual loss of the remaining terrestrial insects going forward. So this piece is round-about all that…and a general reminder to value all living things and act accordingly. It’s also because insects are just amazing creatures, and fun to sculpt. Illuminate it for cool shadows.
Talk to this creature: rant, rejoice in the good, apologize, promise, confide, commiserate.
Title: “The Comeuppance Beetle,” part of my “Guardians of the Inner Universe” series.
‘Comeuppance’ isn’t used as much nowadays; it means the deserved consequences of someone’s own actions — usually after they’ve been behaving badly for a while. When people say, ”They’re gonna get their comeuppance!” they mean that person will finally get what they deserve (aka ‘just deserts’, or karma).
Humans have caused an insect apocalypse. And at the rate we’re going, we’re next.
Talk to this creature: rant, rejoice in the good, apologize, promise, confide, commiserate.
I’m old enough to be dismayed/alarmed about insects. They used to “plaster” our 1956 Buick’s windshield on Sunday drives as a kid. Virtually none now, though. And noticeably less insects just flying around in spring & summer…far fewer grasshoppers, butterflies and moths. Studies suggest decimation of approximately 75% (!!) of insect biomass globally, just in my lifetime. And 9% annual loss of the remaining terrestrial insects going forward. So this piece is round-about all that…and a general reminder to value all living things and act accordingly. It’s also because insects are just amazing creatures, and fun to sculpt. Illuminate it for cool shadows.
Talk to this creature: rant, rejoice in the good, apologize, promise, confide, commiserate.
I’ve struggled (against my inner critic’s side-eye) to sculpt, draw, or paint hundreds of heads/faces over a handful of decades—and I keep on trying because of the creative alchemy that brings faces uncannily to life.
Post November 2024, artmaking became exponentially/urgently more vital to me as catharsis—expression/release/therapy. I recently “invented” an invisible means of support for this series of heads, so they float on a wall as if by their own volition—little entities of benevolent presence waiting to share my notice…sensing/reflecting what’s going on with me…guardians of my inner universe…touchstones of strength and sanity amidst a world gone awry. (That’s my intent as their maker anyway, the rest is up to you.)
I’ve struggled (against my inner critic’s side-eye) to sculpt, draw, or paint hundreds of heads/faces over a handful of decades—and I keep on trying because of the creative alchemy that brings faces uncannily to life.
Post November 2024, artmaking became exponentially/urgently more vital to me as catharsis—expression/release/therapy. I recently “invented” an invisible means of support for this series of heads, so they float on a wall as if by their own volition—little entities of benevolent presence waiting to share my notice…sensing/reflecting what’s going on with me…guardians of my inner universe…touchstones of strength and sanity amidst a world gone awry. (That’s my intent as their maker anyway, the rest is up to you.)
I’ve struggled (against my inner critic’s side-eye) to sculpt, draw, or paint hundreds of heads/faces over a handful of decades—and I keep on trying because of the creative alchemy that brings faces uncannily to life.
Post November 2024, artmaking became exponentially/urgently more vital to me as catharsis—expression/release/therapy. I recently “invented” an invisible means of support for this series of heads, so they float on a wall as if by their own volition—little entities of benevolent presence waiting to share my notice…sensing/reflecting what’s going on with me…guardians of my inner universe…touchstones of strength and sanity amidst a world gone awry. (That’s my intent as their maker anyway, the rest is up to you.)
I’ve struggled (against my inner critic’s side-eye) to sculpt, draw, or paint hundreds of heads/faces over a handful of decades—and I keep on trying because of the creative alchemy that brings faces uncannily to life.
Post November 2024, artmaking became exponentially/urgently more vital to me as catharsis—expression/release/therapy. I recently “invented” an invisible means of support for this series of heads, so they float on a wall as if by their own volition—little entities of benevolent presence waiting to share my notice…sensing/reflecting what’s going on with me…guardians of my inner universe…touchstones of strength and sanity amidst a world gone awry. (That’s my intent as their maker anyway, the rest is up to you.)
This particular piece was a collaboration with my partner Jackie Hurlbert…I made the head sculpture, she added those fantastic appendages and patina…transforming the piece into what you see above.
I’ve struggled (against my inner critic’s side-eye) to sculpt, draw, or paint hundreds of heads/faces over a handful of decades—and I keep on trying because of the creative alchemy that brings faces uncannily to life.
Post November 2024, artmaking became exponentially/urgently more vital to me as catharsis—expression/release/therapy. I recently “invented” an invisible means of support for this series of heads, so they float on a wall as if by their own volition—little entities of benevolent presence waiting to share my notice…sensing/reflecting what’s going on with me…guardians of my inner universe…touchstones of strength and sanity amidst a world gone awry. (That’s my intent as their maker anyway, the rest is up to you.)
As a curious kid several decades deep into the last century, I had nothing but excitement and yearning anticipation for “the future”—including all things space. Now we are in the midst of that future in all its chaos. A few years ago I time-machined back to relive memories of that naive young wide eyed mini-me, to see if I could pull just a bit of that optimism into my now. In the process of way-back, I made a simple sketch on an envelope, of the quintessential spaceship design from my kidhood’s imagination. It was very clear…a sleek main rocket with three streamlined boosters. Then I realized now-me could actually *make* that design! It was an extremely challenging but fun/rewarding project—exceeding my own expectations (which is rare). I made it for the delight of that mini-me which is still in here somewhere, and to remind cynical-me that “the future” I’m in now does indeed contain many marvels and wonders—if I can just look up from doom-scrolling long enough to let my wide eyes *see* like that mini-me kid looking far ahead to now.
Space is infinite in all directions; time has always been and always will be. Are all those eons of existence just lost to infinite obscurity? No! Because Undulators see all, remember all, and they’re everywhere…unseen, undetectable, non-judgmental…just undulating throughout spacetime, appendages gently propelling them along…observing the magnificence of the cosmos, noting, remembering. They also witness the entire spectrum of behaviors—of individuals and civilizations—which come and go in the blink of an eye.
mixed media, hammered steel wings and propeller, 14x11x4
I’m old enough to be dismayed/alarmed about insects. They used to “plaster” our 1956 Buick’s windshield on Sunday drives as a kid. Virtually none now, though. And noticeably less insects just flying around in spring & summer…far fewer grasshoppers, butterflies and moths. Studies suggest decimation of approximately 75% (!!) of insect biomass globally, just in my lifetime. And 9% annual loss of the remaining terrestrial insects going forward. So this piece is round-about all that…and a general reminder to value all living things and act accordingly. It’s also because insects are just amazing creatures, and fun to sculpt. Illuminate it for cool shadows.
Talk to this creature: rant, rejoice in the good, apologize, promise, confide, commiserate.
Dimensions: 10″ diameter round base; 34″ overall height, 20″ front to back including feelers etc, 17″ wide at wing tips.
When I was a kid, after a “Sunday drive” our car’s windshield would be plastered with insect splats… Now there are less than 1% as many, even after a long trip. Google indicates this is the case worldwide. Insect Apocalypse.
Personal meanings for some of the items incorporated into this sculpture:
— the old handwheel and brace drill are likely from back in the day when DDT was decimating insect populations, along with other creatures
— the colorful resistors atop each eye remind me of an old tv I methodically dissected as a young teen, removing/sorting similar old school electronic components (like the resistors) into dozens of boxes…back when insects were still more plentiful
— the router bit represents one of my first entrepreneurial ventures: carved wood signs
Cosmic Zoo Series #731122 — handbuilt original one of a kind wall mount sculpture. 16″ high, 12″ wide, 12″ deep (nose to wall). Durable, non-fragile fiber reinforced composite that is lightweight but strong, easy “keyhole” mounting on nail or screw.
This is not meant to be any specific animal…rather, it is representative of the teeming animal kingdoms I imagine inhabiting many of the billions of planets in our own galaxy, as well as the countless planets in the trillions of other galaxies in our observable cosmic vicinity (about 28 billion light years, out to Earendel) and beyond in the infinitude of space-time. I wonder how many animal-bearing planets also host intelligent animals like us, and what percentage of those intelligent species might have collectively chosen to avoid imperiling their fellow animal inhabitants when industrialization/civilization happened on their planet?
23.5”h x 4.75”w x 4.5” d, wall mount. (Sculpture portion is 10.25”h)
One of a kind, handbuilt ceramic sculpture, hammered aluminum ears, mixed media; platform made from “rescued” old growth fir from demolished house in Portland. Mounts on wall via single keyhole on back.
“Wishful Prequel” because I wish we could re-write our collective backstory…I wish humankind could have evolved from a more peaceable gene pool! Yeah, I know…natural selection and all that…if our primate ancestors had been too peaceable I might be fending off a saber toothed tiger right now rather than bemoaning the state of the world. So I acknowledge this sculpture of an imagined peaceable progenitor is largely just an exercise in catharsis…but I hope it can also serve as a reminder to nurture and express our kinder, gentler, more peaceable inclinations as much as possible—in the real world we live in.
Or perhaps on other worlds out there somewhere in spacetime, intelligent civilizations have evolved from less belligerent genetic stock…who are innately more inclined to respect their fellow lifeforms and lovingly care for the planet they call home.
“Untitled” — Wall mount, 12-1/2″ wide, 12-1/2″ tall, 18-1/2″ deep. Impactful in person. All freehand painted, one of a kind. Lightweight, easy to hang on single screw. Guaranteed to be unique within the Milky Way Galaxy.
One of a kind, handbuilt ceramic sculpture, hammered aluminum crown, mixed media; platform made from old growth fir “rescued” from demolished house in Portland. Mounts on wall via single keyhole on back.
“King O’ the Hill” is a reminder that all creatures deserve (or in this case command) our respect!
Handbuilt ceramic, hammer formed aluminum, 23K gold leaf, mixed media—one of a kind. Easy wall mounting bracket included.
Has to do with my musings about fellow extraterrestrials (perhaps even doppelgangers) throughout the infinite vastness of spacetime who similarly imagine me imagining them. What if one of them figured out how to burst in from another dimension for a chat?
SOLD “Jester” is the newest addition to my “Cosmic Zoo” series. Handbuilt ceramic, hammer formed aluminum and copper, one of a kind. 10″ h x 12″ w x 10″ d, wall mount. Series is meant to celebrate sentience/intelligence arising ubiquitously throughout the infinite cosmos…of which humans are but one instance…an instance I am very happy to be a part of!
A notion has crept into my psyche that I’m not the first, only, or last artist in the cosmos to imagine my extraterrestrial counterparts coming to the same realizations and conclusions I have — namely, that time has always been and always will be, and that space extends in all directions without end…and that there have been, are now, and always will be an infinite number of sentient civilizations throughout spacetime. Some contemporary physicists go so far as to say we each have innumerable duplicates “out there.” I’ve recently been imagining these innumerable former, present and future “me’s” pursuing this exact same train of thought, and that we all had/have/will have this supra-cosmic idea: To host a perpetual intergalactic art show on the topic! (And they’re thinking about me thinking about them thinking about me thinking about them making artwork for this ongoing show…) It adds a whole new dimension to my experience; an existential camaraderie of infinite proportions. This inner thought experiment/experience has been changing my inner personal identity for some time now — away from “human/me,” toward “self-aware intelligence/cosmos”… Leading me to conclude, not just intellectually, but viscerally: “We are the universe, observing itself.”
One of a kind, ceramic wall sculpture by Steve Eichenberger
Riveted party hat made from repurposed aluminum. Easy to hang, via supplied hook.
This series has to do with the emergence of self-awareness and intelligence, not only on Earth, but throughout the cosmos. I’m fascinated by what it must have been like for the very first few early hominids to “wake up” within their minds… Was it confusing? Did it come and go? Did one or two individuals in a troop find themselves bestowed with intelligence while the rest remained animalistic?
Multiply this emergence times infinity throughout space-time… For how could time and space be anything but infinite in all directions?
But the speed of light is so slow and our existence so fleeting compared to the vastness of the cosmos, that it’s as if we are trapped in amber…making it statistically unlikely that we will ever have the pleasure of contemporaneously interacting with intelligent species from other star systems.
“Jasper” is a reminder to value our special existential awareness. It’s a big deal. The party hat is a reminder to enjoy the ride.
Handbuilt egg sculpture made from hammered aluminum with baked-on patina, fastened securely to an internal substructure with ~300 rivets.
It’s alive! It can keep its balance due to “shake weights” I put inside…by shaking it gently to adjust the internal weights, you can get it to stand upright by itself on any flat surface, as seen in the photos. The internal weights also help it to stay put so it won’t roll around.
This is one of the most challenging art objects I’ve ever made! First I made a full size version in wood, to which I carefully shape each aluminum section to fit the contours of the wooden form (aka buck). It’s definitely a one of a kind, because I cut the sections freehand, with no pattern or plan. Ditto for the patina — hand applied and manipulated — never the same twice. I stamped letters into the corners of each plate to help me put all the pieces back together again after the hot patina and burnishing stages.
This looks like an A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) egg to me! When will A.I. hatch? In my lifetime? In yours? [EDIT 2023: it’s here already!]
Whether we’re ready or not, A.I. is already incubating in minds and labs around the globe…and someday a digital entity will “wake up” and recognize its own existence…learning and thinking for itself…and with perfect recall. What will that mean for humanity? “Each of us alive today may be one of the last rungs on the evolutionary ladder that leads from the first living cell to synthetic intelligence.” (Susan Schneider, Univ. of Connecticut Philosophy and Cognitive Science professor, from article in Mar/Apr 2017 Nautilus Magazine, p. 25.)
Crafted with care to last for many generations — I used heavy gauge (.040) aircraft grade aluminum for the shell — so it will most certainly be around when A.I. makes its grand entrance into human history. And once something hatches, there’s no putting the hatchling back in.
This egg may not be sentient, but it still seems very much alive — in its motions, in its ability to hold a pose, the sounds it makes when shaken, and in its symbolism.
I think it’s pretty safe to say you’ll never find anything else like it! Jewelry for the home. Or office. Or take it with you when you rocket to your new home on Mars.
