The Fantastical Telescope

(detail shot)

(installation shot) cardboard, wood, chain, viewfinder, lens, transparency, led light, 2010, 42" x 8" x 8"

linocut, 2010, 4" x 6"

The Fantastical Telescope:

The Information Dispersal and Retrieval Society mission went astray. We traveled west to understand its confluences and instead lost ourselves. Perhaps it was a success after all? But now we've returned and how exactly do we relate our adventure? A fantastical telescope perhaps, to see the far-off destinations and all their splendor.

Directions for using the telescope: Close one eye. Place your opened eye approximately one foot away from the lens. Adjust your distance to sharpen view.

holgas are fun

A Fragile Affair

For the past couple months I've been primarily preoccupied with this sculpture and I can happily report I am nearly finished! My blood, sweat, and tears are in this piece, it has been a grueling and emotional adventure that I think was worth it. I hesitate to say it was because of everything I sacrificed for it, there was a time when it made me miserable. Alas, it is over with. I submitted it to "Transcendence - the Magic of Glass", an exhibition in September at the Museum and Arts Center in Sequim, WA. I hear back later this month.

The cannon is one sculpture in a series of stained glass weapons I'm creating. What began as an exploration fueled by my fascination with guns has expanded to include iconic arms from early civil war up until the twenty first century. Using the medium of stained glass to depict these loaded images offers a distinct visual contrast between the delicate, fragile tendencies of glass compared with the omnipotent weapon. Specifically in the United States there is a widespread, gun-crazed culture that developed from a long historical tie to weapons. This country was practically founded on the basis of artillery and continues to hold fast to our second amendment, the right to bear arms. The medium of stained glass has been explored very little in terms of sculptural fine art. It is a material that is laden with its own history and references that is hard to escape. In its religious context, stained glass is a symbol for the transmission of knowledge or truth. Glass, in the context as I have used it, glorifies the weapon, posing questions as to why we still succumb to the seductive power of these destructive machines.

New Works

A couple months ago I started workin on a stained glass Tommy gun. My mold is incredible. It's a 1:1 airsoft 1928 Thompson submachine gun. Unfortunately I had to put this sculpture on hold for something a bit bigger...

My newest project is a stained glass cannon. My deadline is June 15, 2010, (Ma's Birthday) so I've just been working nonstop in order to finish it.

Kitengela Glass: an African Odyssey

A few pieces from a recent show at the Food for Thought Gallery at Portland State University. (photos by Mike Larremore, www.mikelarremore.com)

stained glass shotgun (part 2)

Final Critique of the Shotgun

A brief history of the shotgun is to be considered while viewing: In 1776, the same year the United States celebrated its nationhood, the term shotgun was first recorded in Kentucky and was noted as “frontier language of the West”. Through time this weapon would gain popularity among bird hunters, guards, and law enforcement officials. Typically, a shotgun is used against small and /or fast moving objects. The spread of the shot allows the user to point close to the target without having to be so precise. The shotgun is a symbol of the American Old West.

The power an individual is given just by holding a gun in his or her hand is scary or invigorating, depending on which end of the gun you stand. Its significance in our history is astounding considering the amount of lives lost because of this technology. Creating a stained glass shotgun glorifies this weapon of destruction, almost comically. The sculpture was formed using a toy shotgun as a mold, its stunted size may be apparent to some, though it is not necessary for understanding the concept. I only hope the viewer recognizes the object and sees the sculpture as a facetious interpretation of a serious image. It stabs at those who glorify these weapons, displaying guns is after all a common practice among many Americans in the West. For those individuals the symbolism behind the gun is historical and powerful, perhaps even patriotic. Guns lead the path towards claiming this land and many are proud of this.

The use of stained glass and the color purple were chosen specifically for their historical contexts. Purple was first associated with royalty because of its rarity and expense, it became a color of power and wealth. I felt the color best represented this object of power. In addition, the color lends itself to the humor behind the art and playfully references the original source, a toy gun. Stained glass is most commonly found in cathedrals or churches and the panels reflect religious stories and iconography. In the same manner, the stained glass shotgun glorifies the weapon. The medium already exudes a serious tone, which I enjoy using to my benefit. In this case it is to hide my satirical view of this object in American culture.

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