As a young boy from Chicago, the sides of things you weren’t to see often fascinated me. I would lie under tables & stare at joinery, unfinished surfaces & manufacturer's markings. Studying art & design in Detroit, my focus painting was quickly influenced by woodworking and sculpture. Though I identified w/ painters, it was obvious to my colleagues I was more of a sculptor at heart. Focusing on materials & making very architectonic constructions on which to paint, my interest in painting quickly focused on the surface, rather than illusion. As my aesthetic evolved, I let go of the confines of the rectangle & made installations of painted objects, often constructed of common construction scrap. I enjoyed elevating these basic materials into consciously honed aesthetic objects, re purposing them. Another dichotomy influencing my use of contrasting surface elements was the aesthetic of an architecturally beautiful city in decay & its constant struggle towards a near improbable rebirth.

<Chaboo is SOLD but I can make more...>
In Portland, I run my own business in construction as a Craftsman, Custom Fabricator, and Carpenter. Though a Jack-of-all-Trades, attention to detail and best practices is my main priority. My experience ranges from custom cabinetry to concrete, restoring architectural elements to building outdoor structures. To work with and interpret the Chaboo will be a natural for me as I relate to the simple geometry of the design and mindfulness of its scale and function. Being a bit of a minimalist, I like working within a given, limited parameter, and seeing what can happen within those boundaries. Rather than like some callous editor, slashing out parts of the piece and sending it back for rewrite, my Chaboo will not so much change the form as it will alter the materials used and surface details of the original. I have a pile of plywood strips that have been waiting a few years for the right project and I'm glad they finally have a purpose as the raw material used in my version of the Chaboo.