Red Horse (Jument Sauvage, and several others) was inspired by meeting Italo Scanga and seeing his wooden sculptures in 1982.

This is my first standing horse sculpture since the 1990’s. The size is that of a newly born foal. The abstract nature of the piece harkens back to my first horses, which were quite spindly and humorous in the early 1980’s. I had met sculptor Italo Scanga while working as the head preparator at the Neuberger Museum of Art. His log sculptures were fascinating and inspiring. Soon after, I began creating large metal horses. This sculpture is created in a simple design and uses several early 20th century wrenches, drill bits, machinery and cast offs to comprise the legs, body, and head. The position is that of a new arrival on the planet, wide-eyed and aware. The steel elements are heated with an acetylene torch, hammered, shaped and stick welded. After brushing the surface with an electric wire wheel, the surface is coated with Val oil.

“Sauvage Nouveau”, 46”h. x 42”l. x 20”w. steel with oil 2018,

I returned to the Eohippus, (dawn horse), only because the worn tools enticed me from my studio table. Eohippus was the first true horse standing 20” to the withers 55 million years ago. My piece uses a truck brake shoe as the main structure supporting the chest. The wrenches, machinery and bits comprise the body, legs and head. Lifted above a wooden base, the sculpture flies aloft like a figure from a Currier and Ives 19th century lithograph. The steel elements are heated with an acetylene torch, hammered, shaped and stick welded. After brushing the surface with an electric wire wheel, the surface is coated with Val oil.

“Eohippus”, 43”h. 40”l. x 19”d. welded steel with wood and oil. 2018.

I was invited to create a horse weathervane for a collector in Bedford, NY. in 1992. Afterwards, I decided to use the image as wall sculptures. I created four units, two facing left and two facing right. Each piece is constructed of recycled rebar, hooks and large refashioned saw blades. The sculptures were shaped, stick welded and oiled.

Cheval Du Vent, 24”h. x 48”w. x 2”d. 2014-2016

 These sculptures, (Chevaux Sauvages ,#8,9,10.), were created after a 24 year hiatus. I had created many horse power inspired works until 1991. A gallerist requested one horse head for a client in 2015, I made four. These works led to re-imagine the horse image in my work. The gestures of each head are different as are the styles. These free standing pieces are based upon a 16 hand horse.

"Chevaux Sauvage", #8. 53”H. X 30”L. X 15”D. steel with oil. 2015

Meditation is a recycled farm plow restructured as a horse saddle. The solid steel presence as opposed to soft leather mount, suspends the idea of movement. Without an animal beneath, this elemental statement is meant to question man’s domination of others creatures. The steel elements of the sculpture are heated with an acetylene torch, hammered, shaped and stick welded. After brushing the surface with an electric wire wheel, the surface is coated with paint.

“MLP” 28”H. X 26”L. X 5”D. 2018 Welded steel with oil.

After creating #10 Chevaux Sauvage, I wanted to do something gestural with a horse image. I used small tools and industrial nails to create the wall sculpture. It piece began to have a delicate sensibility that I rarely use in my work and I didn’t fight but in fact gave in to it. “MLP” is short for my little pony. The steel elements are heated with an acetylene torch, hammered, shaped and stick welded. After brushing the surface with an electric wire wheel, the surface is coated with Val oil.

“Le Grotte Cheval”, 55”H. X 26”L. X 3”D. 1985-2018. Welded steel with oil.

This sculpture, entitled “Le Grotte Cheval”, was created after a trip to France and seeing the reproduction of the images in the Lascaux Caves. There were ten different pieces from which I used salvaged steel from a junkyard to create my own “cave drawings”. Horses represent horsepower and that all stems from my Detroit auto centric upbringing. The PepsiCo Corporation along with two smaller wall sculptures purchased this piece in 1985. In 2018, the PepsiCo Corporation sold the building in Somers, New York where this large wall sculpture resided along with most of the collection. All the works were auctioned off and the money was given to charities. I was alerted to the auction and outbid several buyers to re-acquire it. I also modified the right side of the piece; shortening it and allowing me to create another separate work called, “Cheval de Pelle”. Each element is heated and reshaped using an acetylene torch, hammered and then stick welded.

“Cheval de Pelle”. 11”h. x 16”l. x 3”d. steel with oil., 2017. This sculpture, “Cheval de Pelle” was created from a section of “Le Grotte Cheval”, in 2017. The right side of Le Grotte Cheval was shortened 12” in length and one image was retained. Shortening the large piece added intensity to Le Grotte Cheval while also reducing the bulk and weight. The Cheval de Pelle image was welded to a recycled plate and shovel elements. This piece and its progenitor were created after a trip to France and seeing the reproduction of the images in the Lascaux Caves. Each element is heated and reshaped using an acetylene torch, hammered and then stick welded.

“Tribute”, 36”h. x 10”w. x 20”d. fiberglass and wood with paint, 1990 In 1982 I attended an Yves Klein Exhibition in Chicago. Fascinated by his life and work, I created this piece from a discarded hobbyhorse. I had painted it blue yet it seemed unfinished. A few days later inside the Ossining Library, a dapper older gentleman in a grey suit accosted me. My friend Susannah Reich and I were looking at VCRs, inside the library, twenty feet from the front doors. This man approached us by coming directly from the street, through the glass doors and spoke directly to me saying, “ When Einstein died, he made you boss?” He then turned around the exited the library, reached the outside sidewalk and disappeared. The next day I painted those words on the horse. Was that Yves in spirit, or a lunatic?