I remember growing up in the Cold War, duck and cover drills were a regular routine at school. Ominous warning signals frequently sounded off on our old black and white TV. This is only a test reverberated on the airways throughout my childhood. I draw inspiration from nuclear catastrophes that never should have happened. Chernobyl, Fukushima, and especially the Hibakusha, the people, the survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As these people age and pass away, an effort is being made to keep their stories alive. If these stories are lost to the ravages of time, we risk repeating history and it’s terrible events. My art remembers the events of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and by remembering the destruction and devastation, maybe we could avoid what some people call the Inevitable Day of Destruction.
My main material is steel. I have never put a piece of steel in the land fill and any extra pieces or waste are collected and recycled. I try and use re-purposed steel as much as possible, saving them from going to the landfill. Rocks that I use for the fountains are locally sourced river rock. I always ensure my work is as environmentally sound as possible and everything that can be recycled is.
I don’t use plans, this way I keep each piece an original. I start with something or someone who inspires me. I then see what I want in my head and create a concept. I work out approximately the size and dimensions. Finally, I shape, form and construct the piece, then paint it. I’ll keep redoing a piece until I get it right. Or as Leonardo De Vinci once said “Artwork is never finished, only abandoned”.