re | context

2025

Wood & metal parts drawer, brass lock box door, bench vice, wood letterpress character, lead fishing weight, croquet ball, game tokens, bust of U Scret, dough-cutter blade, wood, paint, string.

24.75 H x 7 W x 6.25 D

Private commission

2025

Wood boxes & drawers, vintage post card and nature guides, fish and seagull lead figures, Creepy Crawlers mold, dog trophy topper, ceramic bird, wood & metal bookend, magnifying glass, dividers, paint brush, quartz crystal, cuckoo clock weight, wood, paint. Nature guides are removable for reading.

22 H x 32.5 W x 4.5 D

Private Commission

2024

Vintage wood & metal drawer, various found objects, wood, paint.

21.5 H x 4 W x 4 D

Available

2024

Poor Mr. Clown Head. In the doghouse again-- and for what, we don’t know. Hammers at the ready to keep him there. What next for Mr. Clown Head?

19 H x 12 W x 6.5 D

Private Commission

2024

Cigar box, miscellaneous wood scraps and parts, plastic knob, metal fitting.

27 H x 15 W x 1.5 D

Private Collection

2024

One lead rooster and a cock-a-doodle-doo gong. Three empty egg cups, one empty cash drawer and nothing in the egg drawer except some fresh excelsior. Hens in the coop watching from afar. Rooster no lay, rooster no pay.

22 H x 10 W x 6 D

Available

2024

Vintage handmade Chinese Checkers board, locksmith's pin organizer, and bespoke dolly (wheels removed) of unknown use (all found as-is); bronze fitting, wood balls, knobs, flag finials, and Tinkertoy pointers; vintage ruler, board game card, thumb tacks, fabricated wood frame.

35.25 H x 19.75 W x 3 D

Available

2024

It was a long day at the courthouse. Mr. Green swore he didn’t do it. He doesn’t even own lead pipe.

9.75 H x 11.75 W x 5 D

SOLD

2024

Cast-iron hand, wood foundry mold, toy ring with ruby-red “gemstone,” glass dome with wood base.

12 H x 7 dia.

Available

2024

Foundry mold, plumb bob, garden claw, wood handle, painted wood balls, toy wood blocks, wood peg.

21.5 H x 32.5 W x 6 D

SOLD.

2023

Weathered wood post, wood handscrew clamp, window stay, torch flame tips.

43 H x 29 W x 6 D

Wood post found in Potomac River high-water debris at Founders Park, Old Town Alexandria, Va., March 2019.

SOLD

2023

“Cracker Jack” locomotive, cotton, wood clock case, thumbtack, “Clue” candlestick game pieces, flag tip finials, fabricated fireplace, mantle clock and mirror.

12 H x 7 W x 3.25 D

NFS

The little locomotive in my collection of found objects has always reminded me of the one depicted in Rene Magritte’s 1938 surrealist painting, “Time Transfixed.” For years—and just for the fun of it—I’ve thought about making a little three-dimensional representation of the painting, using the toy locomotive as a starting point.

In the painting, Magritte transforms the stovepipe of a coal-burning fireplace into a charging locomotive, complete with a plume of billowing white steam flowing backward, as if to suggest forward movement. In the artist’s words, “I decided to paint the image of a locomotive… . In order for its mystery to be evoked, another immediately familiar image without mystery—the image of a dining room fireplace—was joined.”

Commissioned by collector Edward James, Magritte was unhappy with the English translation of the original French, “la durée poignardé,” which roughly translates to “ongoing time stabbed by a dagger.” Magritte hoped that the painting would be installed at the bottom of the collector’s staircase, so that the locomotive would “stab” guests on their way up to the ballroom [um… ok]. Ironically, James installed it over his fireplace instead.

In my “Homage to Magritte,” the three-dimensional ‘painting’ is set within an empty clock case— fitting, given the painting’s English title— creating a little shrine of sorts.

Click here for an image of the original painting in the collection of the Art Institute Chicago.

In 1963, Joseph Cornell made the collage “Mica Magritte,” presumably also in homage to the artist (Art Institute Chicago collection) and, c 1965, made a second version, “Mica Magritte II: Time Transfixed,” recently gifted to the National Gallery. Click here to see the the former; and, below the photos of my assemblage, to see the latter.

In both versions, Cornell extends the perspective lines of the floor boards and wainscotting beyond the edges of the original painting onto the larger field of the collage substrate.

2023

Antique stove-top toaster, fabricated acrylic “toast,” brass andiron fitting, painted wood foundry mold, plywood, stain. Fitted with 2W LED candelabra bulb and cord switch.

11 H x 6.5 x 6.5 ; Base 5.5 dia.

NFS

2023

Vintage aluminum food mill strainer, painted steel bug catcher, chrome trim ring, brass machine screws, Erector Set parts. Fitted with 2W LED candelabra bulbs, cord switch, and rubber foot pads for a soft landing.

18 H x 9.5 x 9.5 footprint

NFS

2023

Barrister bookcase end pieces with hardware, vintage yard sticks, ceramic drawer pulls, brass rosette, antique melon baller, metal plate with painted ‘X,’ scrap wood.

36 H x 23 W x 2.5 D

The sixteen numbered holes in the yardstick were used by an auto mechanic to keep intake and exhaust valves in their proper order during an engine rebuild. These ‘valve holder’ yardsticks were advertising give-a-ways to mechanics and machine shops printed with the part supplier’s information. The Barrister bookcase end pieces are from the previously dismantled Roadside.

Available

2023

Vintage wood newel post topper (or perhaps a coffered ceiling drop), steel rod, pulley, rusty wire wheel, gears, spring, fan blades, painted wood ball.

32 H x 14 dia fan / 9.5 sq base

SOLD

2023

Vintage toolbox with hand-made drawers by previous owner, toy black bull, steel balls, perforated paper graphics, aluminum cubes, stamped number plate, plastic grille, pocket watch, magnet, glass, wood, paint.

13.5 H x 25 W x 3.5 D (open); 13.5 H x 12 W x 5.25 D (closed)

Private Collection

Drawers are operable, with goodies inside. May be displayed wall-hung or free-standing in open or closed configuration. The toy bull is from the previously dismantled Roadside.

1998, 2022

Originally made in 1998 and included in the Smithsonian staff art show that year, it subsequently hung in my various offices for the next twenty. During that time, the toy bricks were exposed to direct sunlight and became completely faded to a light tan color. A recent purchase of a large bin of the same bricks at a local antique shop has allowed me to restore this piece to its original appearance.

Vintage toy bricks, wood ball, metal rivet, miniature pulley, lead fishing weight, string, wire; frame made from scrap wood.

14 H x 7 W x 2.25 D

NFS

2022

Ladder-like wood frame with yellow paint (found as-is), perforated metal gutter guards, T-square, various wood shapes, brass pivot arm, aluminum spacer, fabricated ‘saw tooth’ strip.

40 H x 20.5 W x 6 D

Gutter guards picked from a neighbor’s trash bin; wood frame found at a second-hand store in Cambridge, Md.; T-square from a friend in Needham, Mass.

SOLD

2022

Auto parts display panel, salvaged wood from a discarded piano, “vapor tight” switch, perforated gas pipe fitting, golf ball retriever with fabricated black & white insert and red Tinkertoy pointer, stainless steel milkshake mixer cups, pressed paper yarn cones.

24.75 H x 57.25 W x 6.5 D

Display panel found in a second-hand shop in Mt. Victory, Ohio (previously used in Roadside); piano wood found in a dumpster in Arlington, Virginia; golf ball retriever head purhased in a second-hand shop in Taos, N.M.

SOLD

2022

Salvaged wood from a discarded piano (found as-is with screws, wood pin, and articulated ‘nose’), toy rattle/tambourine, Masonite panel with green paint.

9 H x 6 W x 1 D

Private Collection

In this piece, the ‘nose’ can be moved up or down to suit a mood or ‘tude and the ‘earring’ rattles and swings from side to side. The latter was found in an antique store in Grand Island, Nebraska; the discarded piano was found in a dumpster in Arlington, Va.

2022

Salvaged wood, American flag, rug beater, toy cow.

24.5 H x 33 W x 2 D

Awarded 3rd prize in the National Juried Show, “Our American Soul,” at Gallery Underground, Arlington, Virginia, February 27 — March 29, 2024.

Available

2022

Salvaged wood from a discarded piano, deadbolt door latch, foundry mold, wood drawer, ‘mini’ sculpture made from various wood and metal parts, wood box fashioned from a solid block of wood (found as-is), leather cording, metal ID tag, metal fitting with spring, plumb bob, string, painted wood base.

21.75 H x 9.5 x 7.75

Discarded piano found in a dumpster in Arlington, Va.

SOLD

2022

Salvaged wood from a discarded piano, deadbolt foot latch with chain, wood drawers, metal dial, toy building blocks, wood pencil lead holder, foundry mold, ledger paper, wood pointer with brass fitting, various wood shapes, fabricated base.

21.75 H x 6.75 x 5.75

Discarded piano found in a dumpster in Arlington, Va.

SOLD

2022

Found display box (pre-existing internal dividers removed) with frame, wood chair arm in the shape of a bird, plastic airplane, museum specimen collection box, wood spindle, board game token, wood & paper microscope slide tray, graphics cut from vintage guide to North American gamebirds, ‘Phantom Line’ lettering guides (background), museum glass.

26 H x 11 W x 5 D

Chair arm found in the back of a friend’s pickup truck in Roanoke, Va.; display box purchased at a second-hand shop in Santa Fe, N.M.

SOLD

2022

Vintage raised panel with incised design, painted wood panel with dimensional letters, metal boat or truck horn, salvaged wood, paint.

28.5 H x 21.75 W x 7 D

SOLD

Incised panel found at a flea market in Dulles, Va.; dimensional letter panel from a friend in Bethesda, Md.; wood frame made from salvaged wood from a kitchen pantry demo.

2021

Salvaged wood, paint, foundry molds, wire mesh, aluminum plate, board game token.

28.5 H x 21.75 W x 3.5 D

SOLD

White back panel was a shelf from my remodeled kitchen pantry cabinet; thin wood strip along right edge was a cut-off from the bottom of a door.

2021

Vintage paper cutter, plumb bob, toy tow truck hoist, string, framed photograph (found as-is), aluminum plate, cast iron strainer (handle removed), metal number tag, numbered thumb tack.

21 H x 14 W x 3.5 D

Paper cutter found in an antique shop in Beacon, N.Y; framed photo found at an outdoor flea market in Raleigh, N.C.

SOLD

2021

Vintage potato ricer strainer, wing nut, miscellaneous orphaned lamp parts.

9.5 H x 4.75 dia

NFS

2021

Vintage beadboard door, wood ironing board support legs (reconfigured), metal license plate, antique letterpress rule case, wood board game token, metal fitting, unidentified piano part, wood ball.

69 H x 31 W x 8 D

Bead board door picked from my next door neighbor’s trash; ironing board legs from a vintage ironing board found in an antique mall in Waterloo, N.Y. (the board itself is used in Hi-Lo).

Available

2021

Vintage wood and plaster picture frame, wire, metal sign, hooks.

29 H x 17 W x 2 D

“SOLD” sign found in an antique mall in Hagerstown, Md.

Available

2021

Folding rulers, metal rods, wood toy car, plastic bird and toy ‘Millennium Falcon’ radar dish, game board, vintage picture frame, fabricated shadow box.

18.5 H x 15.5 W x 4 D

I had the gray plastic disk in my collection of stuff but didn’t know what it was until I happened upon a YouTube video of a guy who repairs vintage and collectible toys. Someone had sent him a box of miscellaneous items and this was the first one he pulled out, promptly identifying it as a Millennium Falcon Radar Dish. So there.

SOLD

2020

Reconfigured cuckoo clock, metal pulleys, brass, wood, fabricated stand and pulley superstructure.

73 H x 14 W x 28 D

SOLD

The cuckoo clock was given to me by an artist friend who thought I might be able to do something with it. Because of the way its made on the bottom (where the weights exit), I couldn’t set it upright on my bench while thinking about what to do with it. The only stable position was upside down on one side of the angled roof. This gave me the idea to make a piece with the clock in this inverted position, but I still wanted the weights to hang. To achieve this, I mounted two vintage pulleys within a fabricated superstructure so the weights could hang freely from the inverted position of the clock. In this inverted position the decorative crest on the top of the roof could not be used, so I inverted it and mounted it to the front legs of the base.

2020

Wood clothes drying rack and clothespins, metal figure, tile samples, fabricated base.

45 H x 22 W x 24 D

Clothes drying rack picked from my next door neighbor’s trash; seated figure (detached from a broken marble bookend) found at a yard sale in Alexandria, Va.

This piece has been dismantled and parted out for use in future work.

2020

Military surplus telescope box, tin bird feeder cover, brass fitting, porcelain “Voltage” sign, vintage instruments, fabricated instrument bezel, porcelain insulators, electrical switch, wire, toy train signal control tower.

27 H x 13 W x 12 D

SOLD

Voltage sign purchased at a second-hand shop in Orange, Ca; gauges found at a Falls Church, Va. estate sale; toy signal tower purchased at an outdoor flea market in Raleigh, N.C.

2020

Plaster picture frame, fabricated shadow box, game board, wood foot form, disks, and ruler, plastic figure, metal fitting.

16.5 H x 13 W x 3.5 D

Picture frame found at an Alexandria, Va. estate sale. It originally contained a faded cardboard print of a van Gogh self-portrait.

SOLD

2020

Cigar mold, Tinkertoy dowels, metal rake head, wood and metal clamp, wood game piece.

32 H x 11 W x 3 D

SOLD

I bought the cigar mold at an estate sale in Bethesda, Md. Cigar molds come pairs: two halves that fit together to make a mold. The price was $10, or so I thought. When I got to the check-out table, the women said “That’ll be $20.” So I just bought one. Someone out there probably has the other half. I wonder what they did with it.

2020

Hi-hat cymbal, model airplane propeller, metal rosette, wood stocking stretchers, Tinkertoy pulleys, wood pegs.

14 H x 69 W x 3 D

NFS

2020

Wood and metal drawer with label and markings (found as-is), wood and metal bookend, wood pestle, page from 1952 Fisher Scientific ‘Modern Laboratory Appliances’ catalog, wood Bingo number, painted wood feet.

13.75 H x 6 W x 6.25 D

SOLD

Drawer found in an antique mall in Hagerstown, Md.

2020

Vintage telephone ringer box, homemade battery-powered device (found as-is: wood mouse trap base, relay, wire, perforated metal battery holder), U.S. Government property tag, porcelain insulator, pressed paper yarn cones, thermostat bellows, metal bracket, ball-joint fitting.

13 H x 9.5 W x 8 D

Available

2020

Vintage sewing machine drawer, wood potato masher/pounder, board game tokens, Scrabble rail, pressed paper yarn cones, brass thumb tack.

14 H x 12 W x 4 D

Available

2020

(After Cornell) Wood drawer, section of weathered Dutch Lap siding, dominoes, wood balls, metal rod, mini-sundial, metal hook, brass ring.

11 H x 16.5 W x 4 D

Available

2019

Painted wood box with partial lid (found as-is), carved wood cabinet door panel, grouse trophy figure, weaving spindle, miniature compass, vintage pill box in the shape of a book, Stratego game board.

16.25 H x 11 W x 5.75 D

SOLD

Grouse trophy figure found at an antique mall in Ithaca, N.Y.; box from an antique mall in Hagerstown, Md.

2019

Vintage wood ironing board, dado blade, metal arrow, Tinkertoy pulley (not visible in photo), plastic protractor, plumb bob, string, paper checkerboard pattern, wood peg.

54 H x 14.5 W x 3 D

SOLD

Ironing board found at an antique mall in Waterloo, N.Y. (the folding wooden leg assembly from the board used in Ohio Abstracta).

2019

Vintage wooden tool box, wood toy parts, metal jar lid, string, upholstery tacks, metal "5" stencil, paint brush, wood knob.

26 H x 11.5 W x 4 D

SOLD

Tool box found in the mark-down side of a junk shop in Biddeford, Me.

The blue disk in this piece is actually one half of my childhood yo-yo. The other have is used in Camera Abstracta.

2019

Vintage foundry molds, partitioned wood drawer, Parcheesi dice cups, metal bulb clip, billiard ball, brass Moravian star finial, brass hinge leaf

34 H x 13.5 W x 4 D

SOLD

Moravian star found in an antique shop in Easton, Md.

2019

Wood weaving spool, cultivator part, duct cleaning brush.

16 H x 20 dia

SOLD

Duct cleaning brush found at an outdoor flea market in Raleigh, N.C.

2019

Metal shop stool, vintage electronic testing equipment, TV ‘rabbit ears’ antenna, antique car light fixture, wood foundry mold “arm,” Jell-o mold, board game tokens, vintage potato masher and egg beater.

77 H (max) x 18 W x 22 D

Private Collection

Stool and rabbit ears found at an outdoor flea market in Raleigh, N.C.; foundry mold “arm” and testing equipment purchased at an outdoor flea market in Arlington, Va.

2019

Weathered wood board, wood curio shelf, hand-made wood rack with grinding stones (found as-is), psychological testing blocks, African American baseball figure.

33 H x 11.5 W x 5 D

SOLD

2019

Vintage camera tripod, sewing machine cabinet drawer, glass drawer pull, brass handle with wood knob, Jell-o mold, metal 35mm film canister, wood ball, plastic cow, fabricated 3-prong base with one half of a wood yo-yo and a board game token.

38 H x 17 W x 17 D

SOLD

The black disk at the bottom of the tripod is one half of my childhood yo-yo (originally red, I painted it black for this piece). The other half is used in CANCO.

2019

Vintage surveyor’s tripod, wood cigar box, carpenter’s level, Jell-o molds, mid-century wood and metal bookend, Tinkertoys, fabricated 3-prong base with rubber disk and wood file handle (disk and handle hidden by front leg of tripod in photo).

63 H x 25 W x 25 D

Tripod and level found in an antique mall in Easton, Md.

This piece has been dismantled and parted out for use in future work.

2019

Wood cutting board, deformed and rusted metal spring, wire, microscope slide tray, psychological testing blocks and paperboard head of a boy puzzle piece, board game token.

18 H x 10 W x 2 D

SOLD

Rusty metal spring found on the street in Washington, D.C.

2019

Weathered boards, hand-carved and painted wood dog figure with glass eyes, partitioned wood box, checkers, spiral-shaped toy blocks, board game tokens.

18 H x 32.5 W x 5 D

SOLD

2019

Vintage drafting board, sewing machine cabinet drawer, painted garden tote, microscope slide tray, metal file, metal pulley, wood ruler, original wood ‘skirt’ salvaged from Tinker Swizzle.

26 H x 20 W x 9 D

Garden tote found in an antique mall in Easton, Md.

Available

2019

Vintage end table, weaving spindles, wood exercise club, kitchen mallet, and dapping block, Scrabble letters, dominoes. Inside drawer and cabinet: Tripoly and checkers game boards, rulers, dominoes, toy block.

44 H x 21 W x 16.5 D

Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center collection in memory of Sara Johnson

Cabinet found in a retirement center thrift shop in Falls Church, Va. Only $5, but the veneer was missing from the front edge of the top, prompting the need to cover the unsightly edge with something.

Playing with a combination of dominoes and Scrabble letters, I tried multiple patterns and sequences of the two until I came up with one that exactly fit the width of the top, with no overhang and no spaces in between. This resulted in 20 Scrabble letters. Rather than use random letters, I searched for 20-letter words to see what I could find. Of all the options, “transcomplementation” seemed to be most fitting for an assemblage of disparate, yet complementary, objects who’s meanings are transformed in the process.

2018

Vintage barrister’s book case, painted metal auto parts store display panel, Tinkertoys, stenciled wood board, plastic bull cow, fruit crate, metal cash tray, croquet balls, metal rod, fabricated base.

57 H x 43.5 W x 23 D

Display panel found in an second-hand shop in Mt. Victory, Oh.; stenciled wood board found at a construction site in Washington, D.C.

This piece has been dismantled and parted out for use in future work (see Vapor Tight, Don’t Cry, and Taureau Noir avec Boules D’Acier)..

2018

Painted wood chair, vintage hand-made school gym class scheduling board (found as-is), wood hanger, ping pong net.

42.5 H x 18.5 W x 18 D

Chair and scheduling board found in an antique shop in Easton, Md; ping-pong net found at a thrift store in Cambridge, Md.

This piece has been dismantled and parted out for use in future work (see Palm Springs).

2018

1960s end table, rulers, toy airplane propellers, Ropes and Ladders game board, board game tokens, Carrom game ring and pins, microscope slide tray, sewing machine cabinet drawer, miniature bowling pin, bowling trophy figure, Scrabble letters. Inside drawer: Life game board, dominoes, toy block.

33 H x 26 W x 15 D

This piece has been dismantled and parted out for use in future work.

2017

Vintage sheet music chest, rulers, dominoes, toy blocks, plastic swizzle sticks, Tinkertoys, small metal box with glass window, marbles, toy hammer, metal chain; drawers lined with various game boards.

36 H x 19 W x 14 D

Currently under repair— cats chewed the ends of the swizzle sticks! Rethinking what to replace them with.

2018

Vintage foundry mold, paint brush head, wood handle and finial, board game token.

23 H x 14.5 W x 3 D

SOLD

Foundry mold purchased at a second-hand shop in Mt. Victory, Oh.; brush head found at a pop-up flea market near Mt. Rushmore.

2018

Vintage foundry mold, cast metal piece, toy tops, toy truck

24 H x 19 W x 5 D

Private Collection

Foundry mold purchased at a second-hand shop in Mt. Victory, Oh.

2018

Vintage foundry mold, paint brush head, metal screen door hardware fittings, wood finials, toy figure.

27.5 H x 15 W x 6 D

SOLD

Foundry mold purchased at a second-hand shop in Mt. Victory, Oh.; brush head found at a pop-up flea market near Mt. Rushmore.

2017

Vintage cutlery chest, electrical junction box, wood hangers, painted wood spindle, plastic pear, microscope slide tray, miniature palm tree, Ikea legs; drawers lined with vintage graphics.

66 H x 22 W x 12 D

SOLD

The wooden hangers are from my mother-in-law’s collection of about a dozen more acquired between 1958 and 1961 from a dry cleaner in Ludwigsburg, Germany. My father-in-law’s shirts came back from the cleaners neatly pressed on them.

2017

Salvaged drawers, fabricated drawer box and legs with broom stick rungs, wood and metal drawer pulls, rulers, dominoes, mini poker chips, Scrabble letter rails, toy block, Monopoly game token, vintage WWII ‘trench art’ shell casing box with added wood knob.

33 H x 24 W x 16 D

NFS

I made this night stand for my wife’s side of the bed. Her previous one was quite small, with barely enough room for her stack of reading material and other items: reading glasses, lotion, lip balm, etc. She would often forget to take her earrings off before going to bed. Realizing this a while later, she would take them off and fumble around in the dark for a spot to put them. The cats would eventually find them, bat them onto the hardwood floor and then bat them around some more under the bed. The little container on the top of this stand is a dedicated place her to stow her earrings. The raised ball on the lid makes it easy for her to find it in the dark. The cats are quiet. Good night.

The mini-poker chips are rather loosely attached. Running your hand over them makes for an interesting sensation and a satisfying sound. Chips in painted finish of drawer faces are part of their “as-is” found condition.

2016

Assorted vintage drawer cabinets, toy duck pins, toy ladder, wood bowl, billiard balls, bespoke fabricated table.

51.5 H x 40 W x 20 D

Private Collection

In the fall of 2015, the opening of National Museum of African American History and Culture was just a year away. I had been working on the project for a little more than six years, and I was now at peak stress. It became increasingly hard to sleep at night as I obsessed on the myriad of decisions, details and emails that required my constant attention. Though I had been collecting found objects for years with the intent of making things in earnest when I retired, the pressures at work prompted an early start. I needed a creative diversion. The piece is named not only for the many drawers used for sorting and storing, but also because the creative act of making it allowed me to separate and compartmentalize my work-life balance.