This is one of two collages commissioned by an energy company (NuStar Energy) in San Antonio, Texas. They requested San Antonio landmarks.  The two pieces each depict one of the missions in that city.

This is literally the catch-all for what does not fit neatly into other categories. Should water alone be part of “Rocks and Water”? What about rocks alone? And then there are the abstracts and the buildings…. Basically, this is the repository of the world of “Yes”. When a client asks, “Can you do a building?”, the answer is “Yes”. And if Los Angeles County says they really like the collages, but they have more volume than walls, of course they should get a three-dimensional sculpture. It’s all part of “Other”.

This collage was the first architectural element created by the artist.  It is the precursor to much larger works, Mission Espada and Mission San Jose. Because of the small size of this original, the threads and textures are unusually apparent.

This was studio work and is one of the artist's very few truly abstract pieces. It is currently part of a private collection.

Commissioned as public art by Los Angeles County, this suspended sculpture hangs in the entry lobby of an outpatient mental health clinic. It includes 10,000 monarch butterflies and 1,000 leaves suspended from 6 metal branches.

MERLE AXELRAD

MERLE AXELRAD

PAINTING WITH FABRIC