Sunday, July 26, 2009

The Triumph of Civilization

























An automaton about the ascent of technological man. The triumph of civilization is exponential population growth. That's the mathematical expression of the reasonable certainty that your children will live which is a hard proposition to reject. But the price is their future - because carrying capacity margins shrink with resource depletion and complexity becomes ever more difficult to maintain. So we are trapped in a global Nintendo game and it will end perhaps by global warming - or cooling; another Krakatoa or smallish nuclear war would be enough. Add the end of big oil and that's all she wrote.
So the hybrid one track engine perches on a precipice with the small figures of our glorious leaders in the rotating crow's nest, pointing the way forward. The crocodilian dog figure in the bow is Satan who knows the way.

Stockmarket Engine





The Stock Market Engine was my 1998 prediction for the tech boom. As you see the bear is in ascendency. When you turn the crank it runs at full gallop while the little bull occasionally comes out to the trough. But he doesn't stay for long. So prescience isn't all that it's cracked up to be - I went short while the bull market went on until 2001. Stupid would have been better.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Metal Casting Tree


Serendipitous abstraction derived from an assembly of cast items. This is silver as it comes out of the mold before being cut apart. The 'button' it stands on is the excess metal that doesn't have room to all go down the hole.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Squid Brooch

Brooch in sterling silver, turquoise and fire agate.

Size 75 x 45 mm.

Not for sale, but can make a similar item to order with slightly different stones for $975 US incl. freight and handling.

Skull Pendant


Cast sterling silver mutton bird skull: The young fledglings are still removed from their burrows here in Tasmania and killed commercially. The survivors do a round trip flight to summer in Siberia and return to mate the next southern spring.

100 x 35 mm

Limited edition of 20 numbered and signed by the artist.

Price $850 US includes postage and handling.