Head of an Elder, 2020
70in. x 16in. x 16in.
pine from NYC DOT infrastructure project site, excavated glass eyes from ruined Lauscha-Mueller factory, copper wire from discarded headphones, reclaimed electrical wire, tin smelted from pewter steins and tableware found in box on street after neighbor passed, copper foil, bison horn from commemorative pens collected from pawn shops, deadstock jewelry chain from closeout wholesaler, 420 myo limestone from Silurian-era extinction event, aluminum security mesh from abandoned ‘Mechanical Fabric Company’ mill building, coal dust from freight-loss collected at CSX switching yard, epoxy resin, tinting paste, hardware from estate sale, brass fasteners from VDOT workshop liquidation, nylon spacers, tin foil from lunch, steel pipes from building demolition, PVC, pipe hardware, travertine countertop left over from landlord’s demolition project, anchoring cement, cement cast of reclaimed styrofoam packing inserts, furniture sliders from furniture found on street
(see expanded material list and description at bottom of page)
Head of an Elder, 2020
70in. x 16in. x 16in.
i. human skull rendered in pine from NYC DOT infrastructure project site (Ridgewood, Queens, NY), carved using anonymized CT scan data from NIH online cancer imaging archive (imaging.cancer.gov)
ii. “excavated vintage human glass eyes age 1890 Lauscha Mueller – Uri German A 3800” purchased from “sir_flacon” who notes “they where (sic) found while digging in factory yard ruins in Limbach in Thuringia Germany” (Nürnberg, Germany)
iii. eyelashes and eyebrows from braided copper wire from destroyed/discarded headphones and electrical wire found on street (Ridgewood, Queens, NY) with plumbing solder from MFTA (Long Island City Queens, NY)
iv. lips and nose cast from tin smelted from pewter steins and tableware found in box on street after neighbor passed (Ridgewood, Queens, NY) and copper foil gifted by former studio mate who said she purchased it at P&T Surplus a decade earlier (Kingston, NY)
v. teeth carved from American Bison horn fragments salvaged from commemorative pens collected from pawn shops (Tucson, AZ)
vi. hair from “Yellow Brass Box Chain” deadstock footage & jewelry findings from closeout wholesale dealer ‘Wolf E Myrow’ (Providence, RI)
vii. facial reconstruction from 420-million-year-old carbonate sedimentary rock from Silurian dolomite limestone collected from Upper Peninsula portion of the Niagara Escarpment formation (Cedarville, MI)
viii. aluminum expanded security mesh from abandoned ‘Mechanical Fabric Company’ mill building (Providence, RI)
ix. coal & graphite dust from freight-loss material collected at CSX switching yard (Grafton, WV)
x. “WEST SYSTEM #105-B Epoxy Resin & #205-B Fast Hardener” purchased from West Marine (Warwick, RI)
xi. “MIXOL #10 Red” multipurpose tinting paste purchased from Compleat Sculptor (Manhattan, NY) and “SO-Strong™ white liquid urethane colorant” purchased from RISD 3D Store (Providence, RI)
xii. stainless steel, zinc-coated, and copper fasteners from mason jars purchased at estate sale (Truro, MA)
xiii. brass fasteners salvaged from VDOT modeling workshop liquidation (Richmond, VA)
xiv. “#10 0.5-inch Round Nylon Spacers” purchased from Grainger (Maspeth, Queens, NY)
xv. “#8 Zinc Flat Washers” purchased from Home Depot (Cranston, RI)
xvi. “#8 x 2 in. Star Drive Trim-Head Finish Screws” purchased from Home Depot (Maspeth, Queens, NY)
xvii. aluminum stock purchased in bulk at auction from machine shop closing inventory liquidation (Edison NJ)
xviii. ‘4-40 .5-inch 18-8 Stainless Steel Socket Head Cap Screws’ purchased from Grainger (Maspeth, Queens, NY)
xix. ‘8-32 1-inch 18-8 Stainless Steel Socket Head Cap Screws’ purchased from Grainger (Maspeth, Queens, NY)
xx. ‘10-24 1.25-inch 18-8 Stainless Steel Socket Head Cap Screws’ purchased from Grainger (Maspeth, Queens, NY)
xxi. copper jewelry wire from closeout wholesale dealer ‘Wolf E Myrow’ (Providence, RI)
xxii. tin foil from takeout lunch meal (Ridgewood, Queens, NY)
xxiii. J-chain from salvage fluorescent drop-ceiling fixtures sourced from craigslist post (Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY)
xxiv. painted steel pipe from satellite antennae array from residential demolition (Ridgewood, Queens, NY)
xxv. PVC tubing (origin unknown)
xxvi. aluminum pipe hardware (origin forgotten)
xxvii. “1/2- 1-¼ in. Stainless Steel Hose Clamps” purchased from Home Depot (Maspeth, Queens, NY)
xxviii. travertine limestone countertop cutoffs donated by landlord, left over after apartment development project (Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY)
xxix. “Rockite Anchoring Cement Gray” purchased from David at Platz True Value Hardware (Ridgewood, Queens, NY)
xxx. casts of polystyrene packaging inserts salvaged from recycling bins (Ridgewood, Queens NY)
xxxi. hydraulic cement donated by landlord, left over after building development project (Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY)
xxxii. furniture sliders reclaimed from broken Ikea entertainment center found on street (East Williamsburg, Queens, NY)
note: This work starts with a cnc carving of a skull I’ve collected from a public digital archive of anonymized CT scans of people involved in cancer imaging studies. I use DIY forensic facial reconstruction technique adapted from criminal forensic sculpting workshops to reconstruct a portrait. In lieu of clay, I use a collection of materials I’ve gathered from the ends of things - business closures, residential demolition, extinction events, and others - to try to reconstruct a portrait of the person on the other side of this digital record, someone who’s ultimate fate is unknowable outside the brief moment of the scan.