At my pre acceptance interview, Tm explained that people entered the graduate program for 3 reasons: to become a teacher, for cheap studio space, or, because they were stupid, and asked why I was applying. I immediately replied, “all three”.

Earlier work had been static, musings borrowed from Rickey, Judd and Moholy Nagy. I had also been doing performance art using projections, sounds, utterances, and audience interaction. Performance never found an affinity with my fellow graduate students, but did find an outlet among that era’s iteration of Carbondale “punk rockers”. I was one half of a band that changed names weekly, doing impromptu to 15 - 20 minute battery powered music based shows. Our frontman and percussionist was a tape recorder.  These shows actually led to “real” gigs and a 45-minute interview on WSIU. A couple of fellow grad students once came to a battery powered show. They later expressed discomfort at being in the proximity of my friends.

At the ripe old age of a young 22, and starting the program in January, I was pretty much an outsider, unfocused and suffering from culture shock, having come from a small Art Institute environment. I began creating quasi-neo-primitive artifacts like things that often contained rather obvious bad jokes, and I spent a fair bit of time on a series called, “The World is Falling, but the Roses are Planted”, utilizing white picket fences, wired safety glass, slate, wooden roses carved on a disc sander, staining, decoupage and engraving etc. Knowing very little about foundry work, I came to value it and the apparent permanence of the cast object.

Though I have rarely been able to exercise anything like it, some of Tom's disciplined example did find its way to me and remains. I don’t think I let on, but while at SIU, Tom was something of a father figure for me. I was a prodigal. I have great memories of over-indulging in Tom’s amazing pastas, while around me, little battles played out for attention. On Wednesday afternoons we had student critiques. My general memory of these was that they could be rather brutal, with large lapses in dialog. I did not speak up at the crits. I did not have the confidence or a language to express observations in a concise and beneficial manner. After these crits we would head to a watering hole for some beer, or wine with ice-water, and darts or video games. However, the best part was everyone sitting around a big table’ getting along, telling tales, and always, always, always trying to get Tom to stay a bit longer. Every summer Tom had a reading class. I understood that I would be unable to digest, let alone read the books in the time frame imposed. However, as soon as I left Carbondale, I read many of them. I was able to take my time and really enjoy them…some great books. It was one of my favorite classes.

I ended up living in Brooklyn for almost 30 years, leaving in 2016. I also spent about 30 years working at the Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Society, building, troubleshooting, and maintaining animal habitats, and assisting my boss run the Exhibit Shop. While I made a fair amount of work, space limitations and the onslaught of bits and bytes led me to concentrate on digital photography. In the 90’s I was honored to have been included in several iron pours back at Carbondale. I had grown up a bit and was able to appreciate the facility and what it offered! The iron pieces made at these pours constitute a series, “Stupid Fossils for the Next Intelligent Species”. I now live out in the boonies, and over the past few years, having some time, space and the wherewithal, have returned to sculpture, drawing on some of Rickey’s later and “simpler” works as a jumping-off point for my own view of the possibilities of kinetic work. It is slow going and the final result, often not rewarding, but it’s about the journey, not the destination, right?

In closing, grad school was a struggle.  I am, however, forever grateful and indebted to Tom for the opportunity.  My experience was rich and layered.  Hopefully, even through my reticence, I brought a positive influence, and fellow students found value in my presence.  Carbondale issued its share of growing pains, and I grew slowly, and still do.  I have said enough, but please know this, the Carbondale experience helped form me and is a well I still drink from daily.