James McKenna McKenna

Title: WHAT HAPPENS IN THE HEART. This bold, symmetrical, steel-based wall art has rusted grate gilded with 24k gold. The horizontal square grate has a triangle cutout with a circle of grate oriented vertically inside the cutout. Behind the foreground layer, the black background is charred wood repurposed and upcycled from an antique wooden barn. The wood is cut in rough blocks and charred to give it the rich texture of burned wood without altering its structural strength. The entire piece is a textural feast, from chipped paint on found steel, to rust, to polished and gilded steel, to charred wood. The overall visual appeal will work in many settings, from mixed or modern to contemporary or industrial. It will also make a bold statement in a corporate setting, or in a hotel or other hospitality setting.

Title: ELEGY. This bold, square, steel-based wall art has found river rocks floating in ragged, rough-cut, textured steel. The steel has a cloudy, varied patina of green and brown over hundreds of parallel and criss-cross lines, creating a feeling of a second layer of clouds overlayed on the patina. The river stones were found here in the Little Miami River right in Loveland. Together they form a narrative of a love, children and togetherness. The bottle of pebbles has its own story from the day I met my wife. She had a similar bottle filled with colorful pebbles. This bottle recreates that moment with the gray of faded memory. The overall visual appeal will work in many settings, from mixed or modern to contemporary or industrial.

Title: BRIDGE. In this bold, deeply textured wall hanging, bronze toned steel combines with silver toned steel to create a wide optical illusion of depth. The actual depth is less than 12" but it appears to be deeper. Both pieces of steel have intricate texture from alternate uses of industrial steel-working techniques. The background steel plate is covered in wandering lines of welding, and thousands of dots of spattered melted steel. The foreground steel bar is textured using an industrial cutting tool as a paintbrush criss-crossing the steel over and over. The minimalist lines of this artwork enable it to complement modern or mixed, contemporary or industrial settings. Well placed, this piece can be used in a traditional setting as well. Its graceful, minimalist lines will also complement public space in a corporate setting or in a hotel or other hospitality setting.

Title: A QUIET PLACE AND A DESERT. Crafted from three very different kinds of steel, this curious artwork creates a sense of calm. The frame is a brown, rust-pitted piece of steel from a field. Its sides are covered in brilliant colored lichen, a slow-growing plant similar to moss. The background is also found steel repurposed here with a velvety layer of bright, new orange rust. The central figure, layered over the background, is fabricated from silvery steel plate brushed to give it a patina of wear. Rich with texture this piece creates an enclosed, quiet space ideal for a study. It will complement any domestic setting from mixed to modern and from contemporary to industrial. It would also work well for a waiting area in a corporate setting or in a hotel or other hospitality setting.

Title: TOWERS OF GOLD. This 6-foot tall, steel and gold sculpture takes light from a single external spotlight and multiplies that light within itself. The sculpture is not lit from within. The glow that lives within the sculpture is magical and radiates calm. One small gallery spotlight was used for this photo. A stronger, more focused light would intensify the effect. The sculpture was made from steel pipe. Two sections of the pipe were polished on the inside and gilded with 24k gold. Each section of pipe is welded to heavy steel plate. The sculpture is very stable.