Past Installation
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The Lamplighter sculpture featured a long-limbed lamplighter sitting atop a tall bike, illuminating the night as he lit a streetlamp. The Lamplighter was composed of hundreds of antiquated tools welded together in a grand gesture of gratitude to this humble worker of the past. Viewers were able to pedal stationary bikes that powered the lights of the sculpture, becoming part of the artwork in the process and connecting folks from all walks of life.
The Lamplighter harked back to the early days when the streets of most towns and cities were lit by gas lamps. By means of long poles, ladders, and even tall bikes, these lamps had to be lit each night as dusk turned to darkness. Lamplighters provided not only light but also safety in their communities. More than just a job, these harbingers of light represented a way of life: illuminating darkness. We all carried light within us, and The Lamplighter symbolized a collective connection to spread that light.
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As an interdisciplinary artist, I celebrate and honor the humble worker, bringing to light both their fascinating history and their significant contributions to our modern world. So much of our individual and collective pride is anchored in the work that we have accomplished and it is on the backs of countless selfless workers that this has been achieved. It is my honor as an artist to preserve the stories of these workers, ensuring their proper place in our hearts and minds.
Each piece I create depicts a specific worker, often in the act of their trade. Whether lighting a lamp atop a tall bike, fitting staves together to make a barrel, or cutting ice blocks from a frozen lake, the paintings, murals, and sculptures that I create are meant to give the viewer a glimpse into the life of individual laborers and their daily toil.
Methodical research is the genesis of each work, as I root each piece in historical accuracy. Paging through firsthand accounts and weathered black and white photos, the life of the worker begins to be understood and then appreciated. From this respect, a composition is born and ultimately, a new work is created.
In the vein of Giacometti, Dalí, and other surrealists that I admire, my figures are lanky and long-limbed. I take this visual path to both delight the viewer with a bit of the unorthodox as well as give the worker a larger-than-life presence in the finished piece. They are the humble champions of each work I create and their graceful gangliness is how they come to life in my mind’s eye.
A myriad of materials make up my mediums. First off, the sculptures are created from found antiquated tools and wooden remnants, nodding to workers of the past. Next, the paintings feature subdued hues achieved by using acrylic and collaged paper. They rarely venture far from the historic character they convey and a sense of whimsy washes over the tattered-photograph feel of each painting, both telling something old and showing something new. Finally, the murals in this body of work are more vibrant and often serve to renew an aging wall. They are painted using brushes, rollers and house paint. Overall, it is this blend of new and old that I carry within me and express through my work, an old soul with a flair for contemporary expression.
The work we do matters and through my art, I hope to show that. Through honoring the humble workers of yesteryear, I give these laborers their due acknowledgment, preserving their stories for generations to come.
Born on the flatlands of eastern South Dakota in 1984, I was blessed with a childhood full of tree forts and fishing poles. I attended Black Hills State University in Spearfish, SD and acquired by BFA in 2006. After working multiple jobs and saving every penny, I chased my future wife across the pond to Germany and lived there for almost two years giving bike tours, teaching English and taking in the rich history of Europe. While there I also worked on honing in on my current collaging technique and developed the elongated whimsical style you see in my art.
After returning to the States in 2010, I focused on my passion for teaching and earned my stripes leading 2nd graders on nature walks and explorations in art. Never putting the paintbrush down, my wife Ashley and I decided in 2015 to quit the rat race and take our son Ivan on the road, committing to my art full-time. For the first nine months, we lived the nomadic lifestyle and traveled over 17,000 miles, keeping only a mailbox in Boulder as our permanent residence. We then settled in Fort Collins, Colorado and grew to a family of four when our son, Orin, was born in November 2016. In December 2017 we moved across the country and planted our little family and art business in Southwest Michigan. We continue to explore the country attending art festivals, gathering inspiration from the open road and sharing my work with art enthusiasts from all over.
