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This surfboard is based on the one ridden by the classic Marvel Comic Book character the Silver Surfer, an extraterrestrial who traveled the universe on his surfboard, performing heroic acts and saving lives as chronicled in the Silver Surfer comic book series of the 1970’s. Although social critiques often ignore or lambast this form of popular entertainment, there is no denying its cultural significance in terms of establishing shared social narratives. This sculpture simply presents the board ridden by the comic book hero, hopefully drawing the viewer’s attention to the lack of the physical representation of the figurative character. The absence of the human form is paramount to this work as it hints at a tragic loss of the heroic, specifically in the comic book narrative the character The Silver Surfer perishes if removed from his board as it is the source of his other worldly power. This work is the last component of a body of sculpture consisting of three other monumental figurative sculptures. These works are based on lowbrow imagery (from comic books and heavy metal music) depicting narratives heroic in nature, but with underlying tragic qualities. By rooting this series in 1960s and 70’s pop culture there is also an attempt to examine the naively optimistic quality of lowbrow narratives from this time period

*View the video in the video section of this webpage* Dance of the Cranes was a collaborative performance piece that consisted of a 25 minute choreographed dance performed by two high-rise construction cranes. The dance was performed at the beginning of every hour, from 7 PM to 3 AM on the night of Nuit Blanche (www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca), October 3rd, 2009 . The dance was performed in Liberty Village by two tower construction cranes that stood on the same site and are visible above the Toronto skyline. At the designated times the cranes came to life in a synchronized spectacle of motion. In the darkness they slowly began to pivot, rotate and sway in harmonized gestures, each crane performing delicate motions hundreds of metres above the audience on the sidewalks below. This work is a meditation on the movement and labour that takes place on a colossal scale in the physical building of our urban landscape. It is an attempt to draw the audience’s attention to the massive machines that build our city above our heads, and the skill of the individuals that operate the cranes. This performance was in collaboration with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 793 (who operate the cranes) and with support from CANALFA developers.

This sculpture consist of a full scale replica of a 1987 Chevrolet Monte Carlo sedan, machined from poplar wood, reproduced as if it were abandoned resting on metal jack-stands with various parts obviously removed for salvage. This sculpture is featured in an exhibition titled Here in My Car at the Art Gallery of Windsor (Windsor ON), in January – April 2010. In our culture where cars are a symbol of personal freedom, and alternately an object of uncompromising selfishness, the image of a dilapidated car “up on blocks” seems to resonate with a simple poetry that recalls the remains of a fallen beast. I have chosen the 1987 Chevrolet Monte Carlo (the SS Aerocoupes model) as the basis of the work because its design recalls the glory days of factory involvement in stock car racing in the late 60’s, when street cars, such as the Monte Carlo were produced so their racing counterparts could compete on NSCAR tracks. The 305 cubic centimeter V8 engine (capable of 180 HP and 255 lbs. of torque) was ill suited as a production car, but played on the desire of the driver to feel the potential for speed inherent in the design. Today it is rare to see these cars on the road. More typically they are found in a state of half repair, resting on blocks of wood, the design still speaking of gusto; however, the reality of disrepair is a castration of the power embodied in the design. These massive hulks of metal are essentially forgotten dreams of acceleration and masculinity abandoned in the face of rising gas prices and practicality, but still hopeful of a return to former glory. By producing this form in wood as a static object, there is an attempt to draw a parallel between the masculine heroism of this car’s design, and the resonate machismo of monumental sculpture. This work speaks about past glories as much as any war monument or memorial does, but with an acknowledgement of the flaws and limits of its purpose.

The sculpture Satellite was featured in CAFKA 2009: Veracity (September 2009). The sculpture is a full scale replica of a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite that was installed in a public park, appearing as if it had crashed to earth. This work is an attempt to question the authority we grant technology by confronting the viewer with a narrative that highlights the failure of scientific knowledge.

Northern Satellite is a site specific sculpture created as part of a residency at the Klondike Institute of Art. The work consists of a full scale replica of a GPS satellite crashed into the earth. It is installed in Dawson City (YU) as part of an exhibition at the ODD Gallery ( August 13/09 until October 09). Photo Credit - Claire Forsyth

This site specific sculpture consisted of five bronze plaques (averaging 24 inches x 8 x 1) that featured quotes from heavy metal songs, and were installed in various locations in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. If the locations of all five plaques were drawn on a map and connected, they formed an inverted pentagram; in the centre of this pentagram was the Embassy Gallery where a solo exhibition of my work was being featured at the time of this installation. The invitation for this exhibition featured a map of the city, with the inverted pentagram super-imposed, providing gallery viewers with the opportunity to search out the bronze plaques.

This piece consists of a six and a half foot tall ghost constructed of sheet steel and finished with chrome automotive paint. The form of this sculpture is based on our culturally accepted representation of a ghost: a human form covered in a bed sheet. I have chosen this image due to its cultural symbolism and its absurd ability to represent our curiosity and fear around the issue of an afterlife.

The sculpture “…he was turned to steel..”, consists of a larger than life version of the 1960’s comic book hero the Invincible Iron Man. This figurative sculpture is constructed of formed and welded sheet steel and finished with a high gloss automotive paint and stands nine and a half feet tall. Eight feet in front of the metal figure is a commemorative bronze plaque that bares the title of the work “…he was turned to steel in the great magnetic field, as he traveled time for the future of mankind…”.

Bionic Forest is a reflection on the Canadian tendency to invest our personal and national identity with the notion of landscape, specifically the myth of the “great white north”. I have chosen to use the paintings of Tom Thomson as a starting point for this work, because his rendering of trees act simultaneously as icons of the Canadian landscape and our culture. His paintings of the north reflect our tendency to view our culture as being linked to a vast wilderness, while we participate in it largely through mediated experiences.

The work Champions of Entropy, Version #3 is a kinetic sculpture that consists of two machines whose sole purpose is to replicate the organic movements of two male deer locked in constant combat. The machines each support a set of antlers that are constantly engaged in ramming each other.

This sculpture was made using the organic burnout method. I made a ceramic mold around a human heart, incinerated the heart, and cast lead into the mold.