I was commissioned on a volunteer basis to build this memorial chair in honor of Jacob Crespo, an eight year old environmentalist who died from a brain aneurysm last year.  Everything, minus the six bolts attaching the skateboards and the tiles decorared by the 2nd graders, either was material headed for a dumpster or from wood I’ve collected from remodels and stored in my warehouse over the past 10 years. Old skateboards, decorated by Jaob’s classmates, form the backrest.  The wood used for the legs and arms came from a 1940’s built-in removed during a remodel and headed for the dumpster.  The Diamondbacks baseball bat was broken and now is a leg.  All the mesquite came from a 100 year old tree in Mexico and was mostly floor scraps from a new build except the piece with resin which was from a scrap from a custom dining room table made from the same tree.  The glass on the display case came out of a broken window, and the rest of the douglas fir, as well as the hinges, came off a 1920’s door jamb.  The chair, now on display (on a stand made from recycled metal) at Madison Heights Elementary, pays homage to Jacob’s humanitarian efforts and inspiration to the school kids to reduce, recycle, and reuse.

Launch Gallery