Sculptures and Installations
Sculpture is a passion for both Derek and Jessica. Jessica enjoys taking found objects and transforming them into a beautiful creation and giving them a new life. Many of the sculptures below were a part of her Senior Capstone at Eastern Oregon University.
The Bull Pen
Commissioned for a client out in Cove, OR. This near life size bull elk made completely of barbed wire now hangs from his shop with the sign below "The Bull Pen" completely of barb wire as well.
Silvies Juniper
"Silvies Juniper" was a commissioned piece for the Silvies Valley Ranch. It is made completely of all recylced barbed wire welded to each other. It stands approximately seven feet tall and is about two feet in diameter.
Silvies Juniper, 36" x 24" x 80", barbwire, 2011-2012
Silvies Juniper, 36" x 24" x 80", barbwire, 2011-2012
Silvies Juniper, 36" x 24" x 80", barbwire, 2011-2012
Silvies Juniper, 36" x 24" x 80", barbwire, 2011-2012
Silvies Juniper, 36" x 24" x 80", barbwire, 2011-2012
Property of BLM
"Property of BLM" was a sculpture created for Jessica's Senior Capstone exhibit. The idea behind this piece was to illustrate the issues behind wild horse overpopulation and starvation. The piece is designed using a genuine draft horse skull to help illustrate an unusual size for the typical mustang to prove that most "wild herds" were not typically wild horses or mustangs for that fact, but feral horses that people could no longer afford to keep so set free. The problem dramatically increased once horse slaughter houses were shut down and excess horses were being released to live with the wild horses. By releasing domestic horses into the wild the problem of overgrazing arose and there was not enough feed or water to sustain the number of animals in that given area. Once animals were introduced into the herds they then became the property of the BLM and it was a problem they could only solve. This piece simply illustrates the aftermath.
"Property of BLM", mixed media (Brazilian gum rosin, beeswax, acrylic & bone), 3' x 2.5' x 3', 2010
"Property of BLM", mixed media (Brazilian gum rosin, beeswax, acrylic & bone), 3' x 2.5' x 3', 2010
"Property of BLM", mixed media (Brazilian gum rosin, beeswax, acrylic & bone), 3' x 2.5' x 3', 2010
"Property of BLM", mixed media (Brazilian gum rosin, beeswax, acrylic & bone), 3' x 2.5' x 3', 2010
"Property of BLM", mixed media (Brazilian gum rosin, beeswax, acrylic & bone), 3' x 2.5' x 3', 2010
"Property of BLM", mixed media (Brazilian gum rosin, beeswax, acrylic & bone), 3' x 2.5' x 3', 2010
Calving Season
"Calving Season" is a piece illustrating interactions between wolves and livestock. A big issue arose not long ago about the introduction of wolves and their impact on livestock. Cattle in particular are easy prey for these animals and often leave ranchers devastated in financial loss due to these interactions, whether it be by harassing the livestock or killing. It is titled "Calving Season" beacuse of the area where most of these issues arose. Most livestock producers in the Northwest are calving while there is still snow on the ground, which make them very vulnerable to predators. The story board is as follows in the photos. First is the encounter of wolf vs. newborn. The next shows the intervention of the mother in her attempts to protect her young. Wolves travel in packs, so in the third panel you see numerous dog tracks outnumbering the mother and calf to where you no longer see their tracks. The fourth panel only shows drag marks and a few scavangers left to feed and the end result leaves only bones to show for it. This piece is just merely a demonstration of what an interaction could look like and result in.
"Calving Season", mixed media (plaster),10' x 4', 2011
"Calving Season, I", mixed media (plaster), 2' x 4', 2011
"Calving Season, II", mixed media (plaster), 2' x 4', 2011
"Calving Season, III", mixed media (plaster), 2' x 4', 2011
"Calving Season, IV", mixed media (plaster), 2' x 4', 2011
"Calving Season, V", mixed media (plaster), 2' x 4', 2011
Ignorance is Bliss
This was an installation piece that was again part of Jessica's Senior Capstone. This piece illustrates the issues of both overpopulation of wild and feral horses and wolf depredation on livestock. It provides facts within the file cabinet about both issues and illustrates the damage caused by them with the piles of bones surrounding it. It challenges the viewers to form their own opinion on how we should go about to solve these issues.
"Ignorance is Bliss", Installation mixed media (bone & transparencies), 2011
"Ignorance is Bliss", Installation mixed media (bone & transparencies), 2011
"Ignorance is Bliss", Installation mixed media (bone & transparencies), 2011
Product of H.R. 503 [109th]; Horse Slaughter Prohibition Bill
"Product of H.R. 503 [109th]; Horse Slaughter Prohibition Bill" was built using a genuine horse skeleton that was reassembled to create this ghostly creature. It is meant to capture the reality in which most wild and feral horses live in. The sculpture exposes extremely high withers and an unlike mustang figure to represent the wild herds majority of feral horses that make it. The inside cavity exposes photographs of decaying mustangs that have collapsed due to natural causes of either starvation or dehydration. The projected image on either side of the sculpture shows the bill that was passed to close horse slaughter houses on one side and a letter on the other about why we need to manage the wild herds on the other. This piece again is based purely on fact and offers the viewers an illustration on the issues and the projected outcomes.
"Product of H.R. 503 [109th]; Horse Slaughter Prohibition Bill", Installation (Life Size) mixed media (plaster, photographs, transparencies & bone), 2010/2011
"Product of H.R. 503 [109th]; Horse Slaughter Prohibition Bill", Installation (Life Size) mixed media (plaster, photographs, transparencies & bone), 2010/2011
"Product of H.R. 503 [109th]; Horse Slaughter Prohibition Bill", Installation (Life Size) mixed media (plaster, photographs, transparencies & bone), 2010/2011
"Product of H.R. 503 [109th]; Horse Slaughter Prohibition Bill", Installation (Life Size) mixed media (plaster, photographs, transparencies & bone), 2010/2011
"Product of H.R. 503 [109th]; Horse Slaughter Prohibition Bill", Installation (Life Size) mixed media (plaster, photographs, transparencies & bone), 2010/2011
"Product of H.R. 503 [109th]; Horse Slaughter Prohibition Bill", Installation (Life Size) mixed media (plaster, photographs, transparencies & bone), 2010/2011
"Product of H.R. 503 [109th]; Horse Slaughter Prohibition Bill", Installation (Life Size) mixed media (plaster, photographs, transparencies & bone), 2010/2011