Well, for what?

2010

Pine, acrylic on found aluminum sign

40” x 12” x 2”

They were wrong we were right

2011

Found wood frame, cardboard

41” x 19” x 3”

It is the wrong thing

2011

Deer antlers mounted on cardboard.

10” x 10” x 6”

William Brown (ca.1868-1935): “He stayed home a few years and then one night he packed up and left without even a note. We never heard from him again. Later in september 1935 they found Papa’s body wedged on a tree on one of the Islands down by Key West after a fierce storm had swept the Island nearly clean.”

2010

Embroidered wool suit jacket; walnut, mahogany, acrylic glazing, paper, embroidery floss, embroidery needles, map tacks

41” x 24” x 32”

“Papo” (ca.18??-19??): “He used to tell me stories about my mother and father and brother in America. I used to ask him if they loved me. I remember holding his hand and walking with him. But after my brother moved to Hungary when he was a year old, I don’t remember my great-grandfather being with us anymore.”

2010

Leather shoes, applewood, walnut, mahogany, paper, embroidery floss, map tacks

78” x 21” x 5”

Aleen Henderson McConnell (1925-2002): “When she came back from Brooklyn she was a very different person. She really resented her mother.”

2010

Walnut, mahogany, acrylic glazing, paper, embroidery floss, map tacks

66” x 5” x 1”

______ Andrews (ca.18??-19??): “Mary’s husband tried to kidnap the son of the family Mary was a domestic for, to try to get a ransom. But he was caught and spent his life in prison.”

2010

Walnut, mahogany, acrylic glazing, paper, embroidery floss, .44 shells, 9mm shells, map tacks

46” x 5” x 1”

Bruce Brown (ca.1905-1927): “Bruce had a friend going to California so he decided to go along. They got with the State digging a ditch along a road. One day just at quitting time everybody got out of the ditch and a big truck came by and caved it in on him and killed him.”

2010

Walnut, mahogany, acrylic glazing, paper, embroidery floss, map tacks

58” x 7” x 1”

Florence Henderson Kucenzler (1901-1994): “You wanted to know more about my family. I don’t know how much you already know.”

2010

Walnut, mahogany, acrylic glazing, cassette tape spools, magnetic cassette tape, screenprint on mylar tape

13” x 25” x 1”


For behold the kingdom of God is within you

2009

Rotary tool housing, etched acrylic glazing, peephole, electronics

3” x 3” x 7”

You were only hiding

2009

Cardboard, frosted acrylic glazing, jute twine

5’ x 4’ x 5’

Descending like a dove

2008

Telephone, motor, lever

6” x 8” x 7”

And I entered a through a doorway a room with too many walls to count

2008

Paper, book board, wood, ink and acetone transfer on paper

8” x 5” x 22”

Well, for what?

2010

Pine, acrylic on found aluminum sign

40” x 12” x 2”

They were wrong we were right

2011

Found wood frame, cardboard

41” x 19” x 3”

It is the wrong thing

2011

Deer antlers mounted on cardboard.

10” x 10” x 6”

William Brown (ca.1868-1935): “He stayed home a few years and then one night he packed up and left without even a note. We never heard from him again. Later in september 1935 they found Papa’s body wedged on a tree on one of the Islands down by Key West after a fierce storm had swept the Island nearly clean.”

2010

Embroidered wool suit jacket; walnut, mahogany, acrylic glazing, paper, embroidery floss, embroidery needles, map tacks

41” x 24” x 32”

“Papo” (ca.18??-19??): “He used to tell me stories about my mother and father and brother in America. I used to ask him if they loved me. I remember holding his hand and walking with him. But after my brother moved to Hungary when he was a year old, I don’t remember my great-grandfather being with us anymore.”

2010

Leather shoes, applewood, walnut, mahogany, paper, embroidery floss, map tacks

78” x 21” x 5”

Aleen Henderson McConnell (1925-2002): “When she came back from Brooklyn she was a very different person. She really resented her mother.”

2010

Walnut, mahogany, acrylic glazing, paper, embroidery floss, map tacks

66” x 5” x 1”

______ Andrews (ca.18??-19??): “Mary’s husband tried to kidnap the son of the family Mary was a domestic for, to try to get a ransom. But he was caught and spent his life in prison.”

2010

Walnut, mahogany, acrylic glazing, paper, embroidery floss, .44 shells, 9mm shells, map tacks

46” x 5” x 1”

Bruce Brown (ca.1905-1927): “Bruce had a friend going to California so he decided to go along. They got with the State digging a ditch along a road. One day just at quitting time everybody got out of the ditch and a big truck came by and caved it in on him and killed him.”

2010

Walnut, mahogany, acrylic glazing, paper, embroidery floss, map tacks

58” x 7” x 1”

Florence Henderson Kucenzler (1901-1994): “You wanted to know more about my family. I don’t know how much you already know.”

2010

Walnut, mahogany, acrylic glazing, cassette tape spools, magnetic cassette tape, screenprint on mylar tape

13” x 25” x 1”


For behold the kingdom of God is within you

2009

Rotary tool housing, etched acrylic glazing, peephole, electronics

3” x 3” x 7”

You were only hiding

2009

Cardboard, frosted acrylic glazing, jute twine

5’ x 4’ x 5’

Descending like a dove

2008

Telephone, motor, lever

6” x 8” x 7”

And I entered a through a doorway a room with too many walls to count

2008

Paper, book board, wood, ink and acetone transfer on paper

8” x 5” x 22”

About:

While my work is introspective, the subject matter does not always concern myself. Personal identity is a significant theme in my work, but it is more than who I am that appears in my work. I instead look outside myself to those qualities that contribute to my sense of identity. In a way, I am trying to reverse engineer my sense of self, by deconstructing rather than constructing my conception of self.

As a sculptor, I produce objects, but I do not consider this an additive process. While it is true that I add and build to create objects, I see these objects as the product of distillation and deconstruction. They are a core that I arrive at through consideration and refinement of ideas, the finished object being the end of a process of compression and reduction. Therefore, the ideas that my works convey are specific, definite, and minimal.

Joel currently lives and works in Lexington, KY.