Assemblage/ Collage

EVERYTHING THAT TURNS YOU ON

In my 30 year career as an art teacher, I instructed nearly 10,000 students, receiving a new 180 children in my roll books every 3 weeks. Advertisement - and commentary on it - helped me connect with the kids.  

In this collage, I used a half dozen cardboard ads for SILO Appliances, pasting together a composition that stressed repetition and custom letter design.

 Decades later, I retain the artwork that fascinated my students, reminding me of once-vibrant times.
MAX ARTROOM

I created many ludicrous characters for my students, inviting them to bounce their own novel ideas around. 

Max Headroom debuted in 1985, a major Pop star hailing from Great Britain. It did not take me long to adapt a Mona Lisa reproduction to his TV Land persona, coming up with MAX ARTROOM in the process. 

My message to the children?   Control Yourself.
RULER PRISON

As an art teacher, my mantra was, "Artists measure three ways: Technically.  Visually.  Emotionally."
 
Having students measure a paper into 1" quadrants was a great way to assess their needs. Their mathematical layout would receive small cartoon-size art sketches of heart-felt moments from their past, present and future. Not too difficult for a 6th grader.

Any student who was unable to master the initial measuring assignment would be placed in a special help group with me. O.M.G.

At my retirement, I happened to be hailed by a former student who thanked me profusely for putting him in RULER PRISON. He is now a carpenter, and thinks of me often.
COOKOO WARS

Floating around South Jersey and beyond, there are hundreds - if not thousands - of Five Minute Freehand Drawings of this special still life object .

Assembled from two of my flea market finds, COOKOO WARS excited my pre-teen art students' sense of wonder. 


ART ABUSE

Spanning my career as an art teacher, I landed in three different schools, inheriting three well-worn classrooms. Each facility required a stupendous amount of energy to clean up, after the previous teacher walked away.

This remnant of an actual "left-behind" water color set prompted me to make a statement. 

The little ghost tickled the children as it fostered respect for the art supplies they were learning to use.










THE EFFECT OF GAMMA RAYS ON MAN IN THE MOON MARIGOLDS





At 17 years of age, my summer job was at a junk yard, sorting industrial salvage. Valve handles caught my attention, and I struck a deal with the junk yard owner to acquire a small box of the most interesting styles. I had not a clue what they would become.





A few years later, at University of Maryland, inspiration struck. I raided the wood pile at my family’s home and embedded the handles onto brass and steel rods, creating a garden of ramrod straight blossoms.





The title for my sculpture was inspired by the Off Broadway show originally launched in 1964 by Paul Zindel, a playwright and science teacher from Houston TX. He was awarded the 1971 Pulitzer Prize for his play. 





In 1977, I gave this sculpture to the photographer who took my first headshot. With that glamour puss in hand, I was on my way to becoming an Artist/Pianist, whatever that is  :    )