Head of a Prophet, 2020
64in. x 14in. x 15in.
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, porcelain teeth veneers from neighborhood supplier, 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, mahogany from Dole banana pallets, steel pipes from building demolition, PVC, pipe hardware, quartz countertop found outside demolished bodega, 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 a Prophet, 2020
64in. x 14in. x 15in.
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. forehead, 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 from “1 box Alloy Pin Porcelain Teeth Material Colors Shade A3 24# full set” from denta_24h (ZhengZhou, Henan, China)
vi. hair from “Red Brass Serpentine Chain” deadstock pre-cut & 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 furniture 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. mahogany from Dole banana pallets, originating in Honduras, reclaimed by former studio mate from his father’s job (Huntington Beach, CA)
xxiv. plated jewelry chain found on street (Ridgewood, Queens, NY)
xxv. painted steel pipe from satellite antennae array from residential demolition (Ridgewood, Queens, NY)
xxvi. PVC tubing (origin unknown)
xxvii. aluminum pipe hardware (origin forgotten)
xxviii. “1/2- 1-¼ in. Stainless Steel Hose Clamps” purchased from Home Depot (Maspeth, Queens, NY)
xxix. unknown green marble countertop, found outside demolished bodega business (Ridgewood, Brooklyn, 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.