ArtBuzz

Masks from Recycled Shovel Blades: the Face of Spades Series

click to view larger image.

The Face of Spades series can be displayed as a single mask, or hung in a series to create totem poles, to embellish fences or deck railings, or even to construct a forest of tree faces. Inspired by traditional mask designs from all over the world, each Face of Spades carving is made from 100% recycled materials— the intricate designs are hand-cut from reclaimed shovels, carving freehand without the use of templates. Since each mask is hand-cut, yours may vary slightly from the photo shown. The Face of Spades series looks great both indoors or outdoors. In the garden they will turn a rich rust color, perfect for outdoor decoration. If you wish to preserve the mask outdoors, it's not a bad idea to spray it with WD-40 once a year or so.

 

Face of Spades: Masks, Tree Faces or Totem Pole Heads
$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy	$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy	$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy	$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy
$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy	$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy	$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy	$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy
$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy	$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy	$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy	$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy
$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy	$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy	$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy	$39 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy
$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy	$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy	$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy	$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy
$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy	$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy	$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy	$59 plus S+H. Buy at: 1000 Markets | Etsy
All Face of Spade Designs © 2009, John T Unger

Ocarina: ScrapYard Abstract No. 01

Ocarina: Scrapyard Abstract No. 1, 2005. Recycled steel. 20" H x 21.5" W x 9.25" D
Purchase Ocarina for $425 ($345 plus $80 S+H).
Ocarina was the first of a series of abstracts created from chunks of steel that have been processed in a huge crusher/shear unit the size of a building. I feel it resembles a fish on the one side and a bird on the other, while the overall form reminds me of terra cotta ocarinas I've seen from Mexico and South America. The patina is natural and will change over time if the sculpture is placed outdoors. This piece displays best on a table or pedestal.
click thumbnail to view larger image.

Scrappy Rooster: Scrapyard Abstract No. 2

Scrappy Rooster: Scrapyard Abstract No. 2, 2005. Recycled steel. 33" H x 21" W x 12" D
Purchase Scrappy Rooster for $750 ($550 plus $200 S+H).
Scrappy Rooster has a great dynamic quality when you see it in person… every now and then I put together a sculpture that has enough presence and tension that I mistake it for a live creature when it catches the corner of my eye. The patina is natural and will change over time if the sculpture is placed outdoors. This piece displays best on a table or pedestal.
click thumbnail to view larger image.

Organ: ScrapYard Abstract No. 3

Organ: Scrapyard Abstract No. 3, 2005. Recycled steel. 76" H x 37" W x 31" D Available
Purchase Organ for $1950 ($1550 plus $400 S+H).
I like the totemic feel of this piece. The title, Organ, is a bit of a play on words… on the one hand, the sculpture does remind me a bit of internal organs; turning tubes hanging in space as if the rest of the body had just disappeared. On the other hand, I can imagine a good breeze sounding the pipes that make up this piece as it crosses the openings. And the way that the ends of the pipe are crushed sort of resembles the bottom end of an organ pipe (I should know, I've got most of a church organ that I plan to turn into a musical fence some day). The base shown in the detail photos was replaced this summer with the heavier, triangular base shown above to increase stability. The patina is natural and will change over time if the sculpture is placed outdoors.
click thumbnail to view larger image.

Bouche: ScrapYard Abstract No. 4

Bouche: Scrapyard Abstract No. 4, 2005. Recycled steel. 25" H x 15" W x 11" D
Purchase Bouche for $1200 ($1100 plus $100 S+H).
I love the contrast between this sculpture's sensuous curves and the large surface "scars" of the pre-existing welds… This is the sort of sculpture that you should really touch. Run your hands over these lips. Reach in and grab. Yeah. Bouche displays best on a table or pedestal.
click thumbnail to view larger image.

Odysseus: Scrapyard Abstract No. 6

Odysseus: Scrapyard Abstract No. 6, 2005. Recycled steel. 32" H x 15" W x 11" D
Purchase Odysseus for $1300 ($1200 plus $100 S+H).
This one has a great sensuality to it. I love the curved planes and suggestive contours. Odysseus lashed himself to the mast of his ship to avoid being seduced by the cries of the sirens into grounding on the shoals of a reef. This sculpture suggests all the elements of that myth to me… from some angles it resembles a ship leaning into a strong wind, from others, the bust of a head with large lips and a strong, heroic nose. And then, it's got a strong vaginal quality also, in the folds of the steel. Of course, you may see something totally different than I do. Either way, it's got a wonderfully strong formal presence. Odysseus displays best on a table or pedestal.
click thumbnail to view larger image.

Islero: Scrapyard Abstract No. 7

Islero: Scrapyard Abstract No. 7, 2006. recycled steel. 22" x 24" x 9"
Purchase Islero for $1030 ($950 plus $80 S+H).
When I made this piece, I saw it as an animal running at full tilt, turning sharply mid-run on two legs. I love the way the tail whips around through the air and the head stretches outward, still thrust in the original direction. Others have looked and seen the head of a bull, so I named it Islero, after the bull that ended the life  of Manolete, the world's most famous bullfighter. I'd thought that since bullfighting is such an obsessive sport, there might be names for such sudden turns as this creature is engaged in, but the choreographic lexicon of bullfighting seems to concern itself only with the moves of the matador and not the bull. On the other hand, the historical Islero must have made just such a sudden sharp and unexpected turn, so the name seems appropriate and references both images well.

Houses and Weather: Scrapyard Abstract No. 8

Houses and Weather: Scrapyard Abstract No. 8, 2006. recycled steel. 14" x 10" x 3"
Purchase Houses and Weather for $550 ($500 plus $50 S+H).
Although the steel in this sculpture was crushed, compacted and sheared intentionally, by a machine at the junk yard, it reminds me of what you see when heavy weather tears through a trailer park. The jagged piece in the center resembles lightning or a twister, hence the name Houses and Weather. I lost a building to the snow a couple years ago— I was on the roof shoveling madly when it just dropped out from under me, so I know a bit about what weather can do. If I could, I'd get a restraining order to keep the weather off my couple acres here. Much as the beautiful colors of fall have always made it my favorite season, there's a part of me that starts to panic now every year when the weather starts to chill… I do take it personally, and I look at the sky as an implacable threat. Sigh. I'll get over it, eventually. But in the meantime, that's what I see in this sculpture.

Between the Flames: Small Tabletop Sculptures

Between the Flames: Small Tabletop Sculptures 2006. Recycled steel. dimensions variable
The sculptures below are made  from  shapes left over when I cut the flames for the Great Bowl O Fire. They're the spaces between the flames. Although they look simple, it's a bit deceptive. Almost all the shapes look cool by themselves, and they look really interesting when they're just piled up on the ground… but the minute you start trying to get them to work together in small numbers it becomes difficult. I've thrown out more than a few sculptures that started with promise but just didn't gel. It requires a delicate balance of formal elegance and chance to get these to work. Essentially, the goal is to preserve the raw fact of the bits while harmonizing them on another level. I guess the best way to explain it might be to say that it's much easier to do a successful abstract by creating all the parts from scratch… when you're working with existing shapes, you're given much less control over how they fit together. This makes working with these pieces both more frustrating and more interesting. And although they take too long to be a productive use of my time, I imagine I'll keep working on more as an exercise for my eye and mind. Plus, I really like to use my own scrap as much as the material I buy at the scrap yard… I could trade it in by the pound for other steel, but it's nice to be able to actually make something from it instead.
Between the Flames No. 1, 2006. Recycled steel. 13" x 11" x 5.5"	Between the Flames No. 1, 2006. Recycled steel. 13" x 11" x 5.5"	Between the Flames No. 2, 2006. Recycled steel. 9.5" x 9" x 4"	Between the Flames No. 2, 2006. Recycled steel. 9.5" x 9" x 4"
Buy Between the Flames No. 1 for $175 ($150 plus $25 S+H).		Buy Between the Flames No. 2 for $175 ($150 plus $25 S+H).
click thumbnail to view larger image.

The 3 Little Pigs: A Story in Steel

3 Little Pigs Story in Steel, 2006 Recycled steel, 14" H x 26" W x 6" D Collaboration with Mya Smith Buy it at Checkered House Gallery
My daughter Mya is interested in making comics and she's pretty amazing at it…draws and writes very well. So when she came out this summer, I thought it would be cool to collaborate on some narrative steel sculptures together. She picked the stories, and  decided how to lay out the image so that it would carry a narrative without words. I did the cutting and welding and offered a wee bit of editorial assistance in the few places where I thought the image or flow of the story could be stronger. Even though we worked pretty closely together on these, I think Mya could have done them alone if she wasn't a little bit afraid of the sparks in the shop. The house is made from an old refrigerator drawer and the rest is recycled steel plate. The wind from the wolf's mouth is copper plated welding rod. The plants are scrap left over from cutting out the flames on the Pot-deFeu recycled grills. This piece sold to Checkered House Gallery the minute Tess saw it. But that's okay… you can buy it from the gallery if you hurry. I don't expect it will last too long.
click thumbnail to view larger image.