Latin for warrioress, Bellatrix is a life size silver goddess clad in various found objects stereotypically "domestic" but ironically used here as armor. Fireplace screen mesh as the underskirt and decorative brass fireplace heat deflector the gladiator style outer skirt represent the "hearth" and the "home" is represented by kitchen gadgets like onion slicing tongs, tea strainers, steamer plates, egg slicers, shoe stretchers, kitchen cabinet hinges and many other items. Bicycle chain is woven through a bread basket rear head which holds machinery representing brain. Her stomach houses enigmatic parts inside it's magnified tunnel. 

This warrior angel was made as a conceptual goddess in response to the reversal of Roe v Wade, in that I used specific found objects as symbolism for women's reproductive rights. There is a padlock and hasp near lower pelvis and egg slicer near ovary area, vintage coin changer near the belly/uterus area. Instead of feet her legs end in wheels which were to represent forward movement but then they are submerged within a circle of cement instead. Her wings may have meant flight but the cement impedes that as well as lack of arms connoting inability to take matters into her own hands. I purposely use found objects that are stereotypically “domestic” in their use, but in this care, are ironic recontextualization into armor. 

This goddess is the guardian of nature and has deer antlers above her chain tresses. I used leaf shaped metal link belt for her collar and her skirt is meant to look like rain or water cascading down. Her earth like coloring is a great contrast with the silvery accents. Her fierce blade like wings were made from deconstructed adding machine and use other hardware and machine like parts for the armor as I do on all my godesses. I purposely use found objects that are stereotypically “domestic” in their use, but in this instance, are ironically contextualized into armor. 

Life size figure however without legs and meant to be a table top or pedestal mounted piece and a nightlight because she contains vintage style amber Tesla tubular lights that make her look as if a fire inside and a modern day Joan of Arc. This iron maiden even has a halo which was a large toothed gear from an offset printing machine. I purposely use found objects that are stereotypically “domestic” in their use, but in this instance, are ironically contextualized into armor. The rust patina used on dress form is authentic rust in that I use reactive iron paint over properly prepped/primed cardboard dress form. 

This figure represents Time, but when it is chronologically out of order. For example the base is a clock that usually resides on a mantel but now are her feet holding the piano pedal legs whose feet rest on top of the mantel clock and would be themed with the metronome that resides on top as her face. Yet there is a face but it's a clock face that resides inside her heart/chest area and is upside down. The clockworks heart of the clock, is now on the outside and is between her thighs, below the pendulum which is her pelvic area. The mantel clock houses gears and holds a winding key on top that can be used to make the clockworks spin and whir, keeping no time whatsoever. The metronome can tick mindlessly but eventually winds down. 

This madonna faced figure was painted using actual reactive copper pigment so that there is a verdigris finish in areas and it contrasts nicely with the shinier accents of copper and silver such as the bread basket peplum of her hoop skirt which is a bird cage opened to the front to see the column of her resting on top of an upside down silver serving dish rimmed with metal beadwork to reiterate the assorted beadchain that forms her long hair. Her elaborate headdress or crown is the striking key platen of a typewriter. 

This life size figure was crafted from a reactive iron metal painted dress form. I added a mask to the top complete with a bread basket cage for back of head that houses a facsimile of a machine like brain. The deer antlers give her an exotic fierce look which belies the madonna like passivity of her countenance and the garage spring arms gently joined together in front of her metal stool lower body. Bicycle chain represents her hair and pulls out the striated patina used on the skin surface. Various found objects also were added to her outfit. 

These bantering birds were ironically fashioned from an Underwood Noiseless typewriter that I deconstructed and in doing so, saw one particular section resembled the head of a bird and when doubled up could make it have an open mouth, and when multiplied a whole body and claws and adding machine parts finished out the tail feathers. Erector set metal was use for the edging. 

This graceful bird was fashioned from a huge amount of found objects, some of which were naturally white like the surveyors tape that is entwined round the rocking chair arm neck, or they were white washed such as the silver salad spoons with their webbed prongs to simulate feet. I create a substrate from a wood bill/mail organizer and various serving bowls on which I could attach the neck and have slanted pockets to house all the objects that include drumsticks, recorders, cribbage boards, dominos and dice or chess pieces along with all types of kitchen gadgets. You might discover an egg on an egg slicer nest tucked into the stern of this majestic bird with it's unending wealth of tiny objects to riddle out. 

I've done several fish which start with a wood substrate cut in the generic profile of a fish and to which I fasten a variety of metal parts usually deconstructed from adding machines, typewriters, kitchen gadgets and gardening implements. The scales are the tines of thatching rake that I hammer flat and grind rust from. Fish turning spatulas create fins, or typewritier keys the spiky dorsal fin. I like to use truss head screws to fasten all the parts and I typically paint the wood with reactive metal iron paint so it rusts and contrasts nicely with the silver and rusty metals of the found objects. 

There is a certain pareidolia that happens when I scrutinize my found objects and deconstructed machine parts that I use to create an animal. Certain textures or shapes or lines remind you of other things they might resemble. In this instance, my goal was to make a tiger head so I combed through things that reminded me of the striking patterns found on a tiger and what might be used to simulate that pattern. Spoons for ears, tea strainer spoons for upper lips and the tooth edged wedge shapes from adding machine all added up to create this head. I named it Fearful Symmetry not just from fondness of the poem by the same title but I as an assemblage artist have an affinity for symmetry and fear not every having parts that are themselves symmetrical or not have a matching pair which is the harder feat. 

Starting out with a long cabinet door on which I used the backside, I assembled this moth by using the plates from a desconstructed adding machine. All of the "spots" being the holes through which the various rods and metal parts, gears and springs were held in place. I added other parts to the edges to drive home the traditional imagery of a moth and the composition was made complete by adding the bottom panel of a tart pan overlaid with a chainring from a bike to represent the moon. Lionel train tracks were deconstructed to use as antennae and computer parts for the thorax section. 

This table top fish was speared onto a silver condiment server base and I cut out a generic fish shape from wood and paint it silver so I can fasten all the objects to it. Thatching rake tines, fish turning spatulas, tongs, adding machine cogs, typewriter keys form the dorsal fin and often pinking shear blade or tip of tree saw form the toothed lower jaws of my fish. 

Starting with a long cabinet panel, I painted all with reactive iron paint, adding acid agent to the outer frame so it would naturally rust. Then I assembled a variety of typewriter mechanisms for the long tail and adding machine blades for the wings. The center of the thorax has a glass cabochon lens that magnifies enigmatic parts beneath so it appears you can look through into a much deeper distance than the wall on which the art hangs. Otherwordly insect with tones of industrial robotic tones. 

After deconstructing this broken guitar, I then prepped and painted it with a reactive iron metal paint and added patina solution to make it have natural rust finish. The headstock of the guitar was attached to the bottom and the neck shortened. I added the striking key mechanism of a typewriter to the bell shaped bottom and the machine head tuning keys flank the headstock. Added vintage railroad tracks criss cross the front and a metal juicer inserted into the soundhole which has a clutch plate ring around it. Bike chain trims the edges.