These selected pieces from the Constellation series consists of three simple materials that produce the portraits: a wooden panel painted a solid white, thousands of small galvanized nails, and a single unbroken black sewing thread.
Mana (No.2) from the Constellation series
2013
Wood panel, brads, single black sewing thread
39 x 30.5 x 3 cm
Private collection
Sachi from the Constellation series
2013
Wood panel, brads, single black sewing thread
46 x 33 x 3 cm
Private collection
Mana from the Constellation series
2011
Wood panel, brads, single black sewing thread
40 x 30 x 3 cm
Mana from the String series
2016
Wood panel, brads, seven colored threads
40 x 30 x 3 cm
Self Portrait
2024
Wood, aluminum, epoxy clay, gesso
69.9 x 43.5 x 12.7cm
My self portrait was created using the profiles of my father (left edge) and mother (right edge). The 43.5cm between them represents the width of my shoulders.
Almost everyone can remember in grade school art class placing a sheet of paper over the face of a coin or some other textured object and rubbing it with a crayon. I employed this same method - known as frottage - to create the following portraits. For Beckett’s likeness, I had embossed plates made of selected passages from his own handwritten notebooks.
For the other subjects, I used their own personal (and expired!) credit cards.
Beckett in His Own Words
2000
Silk tissue, graphite
45 x 35 cm
Beckett in His Own Words was commissioned in 2000 by Cryptic, a theater company based in Glasgow, Scotland to celebrate the works of acclaimed playwright Samuel Beckett. To create Beckett’s portrait, I took pages from Beckett’s handwritten notebooks and had embossed plate fabricated. I then used the technique of “frottage” - placing a fine paper over the plate and rubbing with a graphite stick to have his words create his likeness.
Saburo
2001
Silk tissue, graphite
45 x 35 cm
Private collection
Pat
1993
Silk tissue, graphite
45 x 35 cm
Private collection
Kelly
1993
Silk tissue, graphite
45 x 35 cm
Private collection
Bob
1993
Silk tissue, graphite
45 x 35 cm
Private collection
Sometimes there is something beautiful about things falling apart. Undoing one thing while simultaneously creating another. Here I’ve taken fabric and pulled out bits and pieces of the lighter color thread to create the images.
Mana from the Warp & Weft series
2007
Fabric with threads removed
23 x 15 cm
Private collection
Mother (No.2) from the Warp & WEFT series
2013
Fabric with threads removed
38 x 32 cm