Self Portrait with Fly
I was in the MFA program in painting at the University of Arizona in Tucson and someone gave me a block of clay. I sculpted this portrait looking at myself in a mirror. It is colored with pastels rubbed on with tissue. I bought a recently invented electric glue gun from a hardware store and glued hair from a wig on the head, carved the glasses from wood,and found a fly. Ahhhhhh…….perfect.
• 1984 •
New Wave Teapot
(First Ceramic Sculpture)
I was enrolled in graduate painting classes: I would walk to my studio wondering what to paint. Mark Burns, a visiting artist from Philadelphia, put up a cryptic sign in the art department - “Paint on Clay: Enroll in Introduction to Ceramics Sculpture next semester.” Immediately, I knew that is what I wanted to do, no longer paint on flat surfaces. I enrolled in the class, and this is the first project we were assigned - to create a New Wave Teapot. This teapot lifts out of the shoulders by using the Mohawk handle, there is a small cover in the top of the head and liquid would pour out of the mouth. Yuck. It was the first piece that I incorporated mixed media: metal, string, plastic beads and bristles for the Mohawk. The piece was colored by using pastel rubbed on with tissue paper and then gently blended. It was then sprayed with a clear protective coating.
• 1984 •
Waffle Iron a la Mode
The title is one of my favorite parts of the piece. The iron was sculpted from a solid block of clay and the plate was thrown on the wheel. Initially, I was going to carve the waffle but had gone to a large junk shop in Tucson, Arizona and they had an old round waffle iron for sale — $3.00. Bought it - took it home, lightly cleaned it and plugged it in — it worked. I rolled out a round slab of clay approximately the size of a waffle, sprayed the waffle iron with Pam spray, put the clay in the hot waffle iron, and closed it until it hissed and sizzled — about a minute. The perfect waffle.
The ice cream was added, the a la mode accoutrements, such as the “roadkill” metal spoon, hypodermic needle and swizzle stick were added. Glaze and paint were used, the syrup is epoxy resin and the cord is real.
• 1986 •
Diet Cup & Saucer
This is an homage to Marcel Duchamp and the world of “Dada’ art. This has been thrown on the wheel, footed, and carved using loop tools and an Xacto knife. After bisque firing it was colored with acrylic paint, pastels, color pencil and sprayed with a protective clear coating.
• 1985 •
Self Portrait as a Headlamp
• 1986 •
This piece was inspired by a love of lamps, particularly Tiffany, Tiffany and Company was founded in New York City in 1837 and is known for its high class, esteemed stain glass lamps and windows. Self Portrait as a Headlamp is a looooong way from Tiffany - influenced by Dada art. My goal was to incorporate a flood light into my forehead and have it resemble me. Created from a single block of clay, it was sculpted, hollowed out and then fired in my electric kiln to 1950 degrees F. It is then painted and mixed media, primarily electricity and copper were incorporated into it. The light projects an intense and powerful beam. Very powerful.
The Kiss of Life
Elizabeth B. Thompson & August Denetz
Third Anniversary
I was born in Tomahawk, a small logging town in northern Wisconsin. My grandmother lived there her entire life, marrrying John (Jack) Thompson and having two daughters, Imogene and my mother Janet. Jack died young, in the 1950’s in his early 60’s. My grandmother was an attractive woman and I remember my mother saying that Gram would never date another man, nor marry one. But nearly 30 years after Jack died, when Gram was about 83 she moved into a nursing home in Tomahawk and met an older man, August Denetz, almost 90. They were attracted to one another and were selected King and Queen for Valentine’s Day. They fell in love, were soon married - they lived together in the home, happy to have found one another. August died at 97 and Gram at nearly 95.
• 1987 •
Luna Moth Lamp
Inspired by Tiffany
The Luna Moth, a favorite insect and Tiffany inspired this lamp. Unlike Self Portrait as Headlamp , it was designed to be aesthetically pleasing. The base and shade were thrown on the wheel, then carved, painted and mixed media was added. Copper wire was used for the legs of the scarab beetles on the base. Other copper pieces, glass and plastic beads were used throughout the piece.
• 1989 •
Three Smoking Heads
As Seen at the Breakfast Club, Tybee Island, Georgia
The Breakfast Club is a popular breakfast Restaurant on Tybee Island, a barrier island 20 miles from Savannah. It is known not only for its cuisine but also the locals, many who frequent the restaurant. There is usually a long line waiting to get into the restaurant, The owner and cook, Jody Sadowsky is known among other things for being the chef for John F. Kennedy Jr’s quiet wedding on Cumberland Island, another barrier island off the coast of Georgia.
On a number of occasions there were 3 women sitting at a corner table- smoking with food and junk spread over the table. The piece was inspired by that experience.
• 1987 •
Two Swimming Heads
As Seen at the Beach, Tybee Island, Georgia
On a hot humid July day in 1988 I went to the beach with Linda and my brother Fred from California. It was super Hot, we were lying on the beach and two older women in anachronistic (you know, old timey) swim suits walked by and out into the water. Chest deep in the warm Tybee water - they moved in tandem for about 45 minutes. I loved it - thus, the sculpture. The heads are life size, made of clay and painted, mixed media was added - the swim caps and glasses are real. The base is wood, painted and covered with a clear plastic resin. This is one of my favorite pieces
• 1988 •
Woman With Pail of Fish on Her Head
As Seen Walking on Grove Point Rd., Savannah, GA
When I first moved to Savannah, Linda and I lived in a guest house on a plantation, on the Forest River off Grove Point Rd. in Georgetown. Grove Point was lined with large live oak trees, with Spanish moss hanging from their limbs. One early, misty morning, while driving down Grove Point Rd. I saw a figure walking toward me along the side of the road. It was a large African American woman, colorfully dressed, cane pole in hand and a plastic 5 gallon bucket balanced on her head. Quite a sight for a person from Wisconsin, or anywhere. I loved it.
• 1988 •
The Heart & Soul of Bennie Williams
Ok, what am I going to tell you about Bennie? Well, he was a practicing nudist, hair swept back in a bouffant with a slight overbite. I had not idea he was a nudist. He modeled for one of my figure sculpture classes, wore a skirt to class one day., and called me “Master.”……. all of which made me nervous. He modeled a number of sessions and then I never saw him again. The lamp (halo) came out of our kitchen when I remodeled it: the camel teeth and tiny monkey earrings etc. were sent to me by an art critic from Chattanooga. The pristine impacted wisdom teeth by my good friend Father John Lyons , a Catholic priest. This was the first piece that I did that was evidence of my burgeoning interest in anatomy and physiology.
• 1988 •
Two Showering Heads
Clay, paint, hair, electricity, mixed media. H: 49”
Two Showering Heads
It is important to be clean, Linda ALWAYS is. I will have clay on me, dirt, paint …..anything, but as someone once told me “You clean up nicely.” I am going with that.
I constructed the shower out of wood, cut hundreds of 2” x 2” clear glass tiles and attached them to the inside of the shower. The heads are life-size, made of clay, fired, painted and mixed media was utilized - the hair in particular. It uses electricity - the shower light.
This was a tricky part, all of it supported by a 3/4” threaded rod that goes through the shower head and the center of the water. The water is made of clay, long narrow pieces of clear glass that I cut and nylon fishing line all covered with epoxy resin.
• 1991 •
The General Electric Bird Dog with…..
General Electric Bird Dog…
with Hair Dryer, Electric Knife, Potato Peeler …..
Clay, wood, paint, 13 electrical gadgets, electricity, mixed media
The General Electric Bird Dog is made of clay, wood, and 13 electrical gadgets. Included are 3 hair dryers (compulsion), an electric knife (eating), camera flash (vision), calculator (brain), potato peeler (probably defense) and fiber optic fountain (sex appeal, I guess) - among other things. When turned on it creates quite a racket and I was thankful I didn’t kill myself when I wired it,
• 1987 •
Horripilating Cat
Clay, glass, epoxy
“Horripilation”
Is a word I learned from my word calendar. It means the erection of hairs on skin because of cold, fear, or excitement. I created The Horripilating Dog and the Horripilating Cat shortly after I finished graduate school at the University of Arizona. The dog is made of clay, covered with telephone wire with stained glass teeth and claws. the cat is made of clay, covered with cut, clear glass, coated with epoxy resin and the tongue is made of a pink pearl eraser. These pieces were entered in a national exhibition in Chicago and I won a $3,000 prize which I promptly applied to my student loan. Old school.
Horripilating Dog & Cat
Horripilating Dog
Clay, wood, telephone wire, stained glass. H: 42”
• 1988 •
Birth of an Artist
Geez, I am not sure why I did this, but it turned out to be a kind of a birth of an artist. It rose up, untamed and subconsciously derived - utilizing clay, cut glass, copper, plastic, human hair, paint ……all kinds of junk. I like this sort of stuff, don’t know what it means but there is some kind of power, or force that relates to something…… but, I don’t know what? I think I will keep doing them.
• 1992 •
• 1992 •
White Woman Smoking …….
As seen at McDonald’s, in Wal-Mart, Chatham Plaza, Savannah, GA
Publix Receipt
With sketch of White Woman Smoking
This piece was inspired by a a trip to Walmart, Chatham Plaza, Savannah, GA. In the Walmart there was a McDonald’s and sitting at a table was a middle-aged, white woman with an array of junk food in front of her, hair piled high on her head and an extra long unlit cigarette dangling from her lips. Inspired, I did this sketch on the back of a Publix receipt - the sculpture followed.
James Patrick Jensen
“Jimi”
Our mother Jan referred to Jim as her “Mountain Man.”
He was.
Jim, the oldest of 7 children in my family, 40 plus years ago he jumped a boxcar in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and ended up in Colorado. Fortunately, that was his destination. Married, had 2 children, divorced, built a thriving construction business and took full advantage of what Colorado has to offer: mountains, downhill skiing, cross country skiing, rafting down the Colorado and Snake Rivers, mountain climbing and powder skiing in the Sierra Nevada mountains in Canada. The later was facilitated by the use of a heliocopter. Although, he would not mention it- twice, at 9000 feet - he ran the Leadville 100 mile race. The goal, completing it, alive….. in less than 25 hours which he accomplished and received a huge “Texas Rasslin” style belt buckle. Our mother at the time said to me, “Why would Jim run 100 miles just for the belt buckle?” My answer - because he is a Jensen.
• 1992 •
Bas-Relief Sculptures: Republic Of Georgia
Large Russian Man
(Written in Georgian)
Nadia in Her Garden
Wax model of Lenin & 2 Soviet Lapel Pins
Beso Baselia
(Georgian Artist)
• 1995 •
Soviet military medal given to me by a Georgian veterean
Pastel Portrait of John Jensen
By Beso Baselia
Self Portrait as a Mayan King
Self Portrait as a Mayan King
I took Evan to his pediatrician when he was about two. There was a children’s magazine in the reception area with a picture of a Mayan King on it. I took the magazine but later confessed to our pediatrician - that is what you do after 12 years in Catholic school. This piece was inspired by the image on the magazine. It is a little like a Mayan King, but Egyptian themed with heavy mixed media. A ceramic goat skull adorns the headdress, a breast plate with lungs hangs on his chest and a human brain is cradled in his hands. The brain - that which makes us quintessentially human.
Clay, paint, plastic, metal, hair …….everything.
• 1994 •
Jim Chirbas with Heart, Hat & Epiglottis
Clay, wood, paint, mixed media
Jim Chirbas with one of his many hats. This is one of my early anatomy and physiology sculptures that I created, replete with heart, trachea, thyroid gland and parotid gland earrings.
• 1995 •
Jim Chirbas with Heart, Hat & Epiglottis
Lee Jones swimming at the Armstrong pool.
Lee Jones swimming at the Armstrong pool.
Swimming Man: Lee Jones, 89
Lee Jones
Lee was born in Savannah, July 13th, 1908.
After age 9 he was raised at Bethesda Home for Boys in Savannah - the oldest orphanage in the United States, founded in 1740. Lee began swimming in the late 1920’s. He ran track for Yale and in 1931 posted a personal best in the 100 yard dash of 10 seconds flat. He graduated from Yale in 1933 with a degree in music. During this time he continued to swim at the New York City Athletic Club. I met Lee at the Armstrong State Collge pool in 1985. Lee continued to swim at the Armstrong pool until his death in 1998. He will always have seniority at the pool.
This piece is designed to honor Lee and all men and women who through their actions and lifestyle show their respect and appreciation for their bodies and the gift of life.
This piece was created for an exhibition honoring all athletes which was held at Georgia Tech’s Gallery - “The Ferst Center for the Arts” in Atlanta in conjunction with the Georgia State Games.
• 1996 •
Winged Sphinx
Greenware
Inspired by
Winged Sphinx
Iraq, Ivory Inlay, 8th - 7th centuries BC
• 2020 •
Glaze & Enamel Paints
Pixiu
Ancient Chinese Dragon
Pixiu
Clay, glaze, paint, & wood base. W: 22”
• 2021 •
Model of Pixiu
Pixiu: Greenware
Bisque Fired with wood base