A visit to the Berlin Wall around 1985 sparked the inspiration for “Axe thru Roof” the first in my series of environmental sculptures. Then for the next few years I erected a series of sculptures on and around my house in Costa Mesa, California (Coastal Orange County).

The bomb thru the roof was my next and perhaps my best project. It was made of a wooden framework covered with thin sheet aluminum. This one made the front page of the local Orange County newspaper, but why wouldn’t it?

 

I never figured out why I put the power-lines up.

 

A neighbor who worked for a sign company asked me if I wanted an old Carl’s Junior Happy Star sign, how could I say no? I planted him in my front yard, wrapped him in canvas (a la Christo) and planted some flower seeds.
As they bloomed I gave Happy a pair of shorts and sunglasses. As the holiday season came around Happy glowed with a set of decorative lights.

 

Most people probably haven’t much experience in cutting two pianos in half and planting them in their yard but I have. This was inspired by the adage “It’s raining cats and dogs”. Well at my house it was raining pianos.