SCULPTURES

I started out as a minimalist sculptor, but over time, I lost interest. I wanted something more personal and challenging. Searching for a new direction led me to three-dimensional objects, opening the door for assemblage.

Objects, combined in certain ways, can become a narrative. Repurposing found items or utilizing my own handmade ones in a sculpture was the new direction I had been searching for. 

I enjoy providing entertainment and amusement for the viewer, and the subject matter needed to fit in with that concept. One of my sculpture categories is games and sports. It’s a universal feature of human culture.

Ball games, board games, card games, arcade games, and video games are a source of entertainment for almost everyone. My games are a fictitious reality with no boundaries, no sets of rules, no scoring system, no goals, and unforeseeable, uncertain outcomes. 

The concept quickly developed into “The O’Halloran Intercontinental Export Gameworks Manufacturing Company,” and was the title of my first solo show. It was a fabricated business I invented. This conceptual exhibition of my non-functional game sculptures was held and performed at a Hilton Hotel Convention Center. It was open to the public under the guise of a real company, and art was never mentioned.

Inside the “showroom” were my game sculptures and sales staff, all displaying my corporate logo. A local TV reporter interviewed me; again, no one mentioned art. I advertised and marketed the show along with related promotional giveaways. It was a great success and encouraged me to dig deeper into viewer engagement.

Symbolism and surrealism are also personally significant in the stories I tell through my sculptures. 

My symbolist sculptures usually have allegorical and mystical themes. I use symbolic motifs for deeper meanings and juxtapose irrational combinations of materials and objects. Examples are “Neon Dartboard”, “The Empire”, “Birdhouse/ Trophy # 4”.

My surrealist sculptures emphasize irrational or unexpected combinations of materials and objects. Examples are “.357”, “Stage 1,2,3,” (triptych), “The Oracle”, “Crossfire / Trophy # 1”, “Lovebirds”, “The Announcer”.

I’m drawn to material items that generate feeling, thought, or action. Sometimes, the objects themselves determine the direction and outcome of the finished product. I can find an object, buy it, put it on a shelf, and live with it for many years. I know that someday, like a key in a lock, that object will open the door to a new piece. 

Today, my narrative sculptures are still telling stories.