Dwell on the Past, Lose an Eye,
Forget the Past, Lose Both.
2024
string, wax, and wood 50” x 52”
2023
string, wax, and wood, 43” x 40”
2023
string, wax, and gold leaf on wood, 60” x 32”
Hopeium: The powerful human desire for hope in the face of all logic
detail, Hope Dies Last
2022
string and wax on wood, 45” x 33”
White Supremacists who hide their beliefs have infiltrated police departments and the military as racist activists. The practice has been going on in the United States and in Germany for decades.
https://www.newsweek.com/neo-nazi-police-white-supremacy-1531793
https://www.dw.com/en/bundeswehr-remains-under-fire-for-far-right-extremism/a-56964218
2022
string and wax on wood, 52” x 36”
The people of the United States and the world now live in a time of public mistrust, false news, propaganda, and encouragement of ignorance. Social media has contributed to this situation. Funds for investigative journalism and local news have dried up leaving people essentially alone with outlets like Russian State TV and Fox News. In this environment, Steve Bannon, an influential far-right political provocateur and conspiracy theorist advocates for the violent overthrow of democracies and his message spreads. Bannon holds racist, antisemitic and white supremest beliefs and believes the way to undermine truth is to “Flood the Zone with Shit”.
In 2021 journalists Maria Ressa of the Philippines and Dmitry Muratov of Russia were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize"for their courageous fight for freedom of expression in the face of authoritarian governments”. Ressa and Muratov represent all journalists around the world who bring the truth to light and power to account - despite personal danger and sacrifice.
They are true heroes, noble, and deserving of admiration
2021
string and wax on wood, 45” x 34”
detail, DePopulation
Funding Facism, Fueling Fallacy
2017
string and wax on wood, 26” x 29”
Father and Daughter Robert and Rebekah Mercer are the billionaire donors and virulent supporters of Trump and Steve Bannon, cofounders of Cambridge Analytica and main stakeholders in Breitbart News. They have given upwards of $100M to conservative think tanks, the GOP, and climate misinformation groups. Apparently, they are quite proud of being responsible for Trump’s public denial of climate change.
Work in Progress, detail, Frontman
2015
string and wax on wood, 21” x 30”
On August 27-28, 1941, near the Ukrainian city of Kamianets-Podilsky, SS General Friedrich Jeckeln oversaw the killing of 23,600 Jewish people in pursuit of Hitler’s Final Solution. This was their initial large-scale mass murder action. Most victims were former Czechoslovakian citizens (now stateless) and were loaded into freight cars by the Hungarian authority, dropped off in Kolomyia, forced to walk 102 miles to Kamianets-Podilsky where they were subsequently shot with automatic weapons.
The perpetrators did not make any attempt to hide their actions and witnesses did not interfere.
Photographs exist which show thousands of naked corpses piled into open pits.
Further Reading https://www.yadvashem.org/untoldstories/database/index.asp?cid=278
Detail, Kamianets-Podilskyi
2015
string and wax on wood, 21” x 27”
On July 4, 1944, the 2000 Jews held in a slave labor camp in the Hungarian town of Koszeg were quickly deported to Auschwitz as the Russian Army approached. It can be said that the Hungarian Authority was anxious that these remaining 2000 Jews might survive.
200,000 Hungarian soldiers, gendarmes, police, transport personnel, bureaucrats, doctors, nurses and other civilians had already been cooperating and were complicit in the murders of 450,000 other Hungarian Jews.
For several weeks, these final survivors were forcibly marched toward Auschwitz through the mountains of Austria. Those who could not rise each day were shot. Reportedly, only 15 people survived this march.
Further Reading https://www.yadvashem.org/articles/general/jews-of-hungary-during-the-holocaust.html
2007
string and wax on wood, 24” x 24”
The program of Denazification was the botched effort of the Allies to rid Germany and other occupied lands of Nazism (and actual Nazis) in leadership roles, and in all facets of German culture. Of course, in many countries (including in Germany), Nazis continued to hold important positions in legal systems including the judiciary, in medicine, in politics, in education, and in the media. The current rise of neo-Nazism in Germany and across Europe in 2020 is a result of the failure of this program.
This piece is a look at the modern Berlin skyline through a rose colored glass. An indelible mark.
It is interesting to remember that General George S Patton told reporters on September 22, 1945 that he did not see the need for “this Denazification thing” and compared the controversy over Nazism to a “Democratic and Republican fight”
for further reading https://www.jstor.org/stable/2144399?seq=1
2009
string and wax on wood, 29” x 23”
Pope Benedict XVl (aka Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger) has a legacy which includes protecting a notorious pedophile Priest Father Maciel and covering up other pedophile clergy, promotion of neo-fascist sects including Opus Dei, support of extreme right wing groups, public disrespect for other faiths, a reaffirmation of the “morality” of sexism, diatribes against gay people, irresponsible positions against condom use in the age of AIDS, and interference in the US presidential election of 2004 (by refusing to give communion to any Catholic politician who did not denounce homosexuality and abortion). He is the first pope to resign of his own initiative since 1294.
2011
string and wax on wood, 29” x 46”
Included here is Oliver O’Grady from Stockton, California who admitted to raping and molesting at least 25 children. He was recently arrested for possession of child pornography of children as young as 2 years old. The church (Bishop Roger Mahoney) knew of his crimes as early as 1976 and each report would motivate the diocese to transfer him to a new parish. Also present is Bishop Roger Vangheluwe who admitted to abusing his nephews for 15 years beginning when one nephew was 5 years old. Vangheluwe was never charged as the statute of limitations had expired. He is currently living on a generous pension somewhere in West Flanders. Saint Athansius of Alexandria was a charismatic and highly intelligent theologian born in 290. He was exiled 5 times in part for his unwavering belief that Jesus was God incarnate. It has been written that Athansius rigged his own election, stole funds for the sale of grain meant for the Empire, and was suspected of the murder of a fellow theologian.
detail, A Nefarious Faith
Tree Frog
20” x 25”
2007, string and wax on wood
Rose’s Cup
18” x 24”
2007, string and wax on wood
Persimmons
22” x 42”
2008, string and wax on wood
detail, Persimmons
Raven View
24” x 21”
2008, string and wax on wood
King’s Corn
24” x 34”
2008, string and wax on wood
Origin Story
18” x 36”
2008, string and wax on wood
Lamilar
21” x 18”
2011, string and wax on wood
Deviation
18” x 18”
2010, string and wax on wood
Lamination
32” x 20”
2011, string and wax on wood
32” x 20”
2011, string and wax on wood
Operation Barbarossa
18” x 47”
2014, string and wax on wood
Work in Progress, detail, Operation Barbarossa
Meeting Amin Al-Husseini
28” x 36”
2014, string and wax on wood
Bonnie Lee
2013
40” x 25”
Graphite on Paper
Orange Eater
40” x 25”
2011
Graphite on Paper
Last Task
40” x 25”
2012
Graphite on Paper