The House That Trash Built
The House That Trash Built
Erik was recently asked to join an all-male group exhibition at Brews. Erik is a builder at heart, and so he decided to build a mini house. This piece is more than just a miniature house. It is filled with hidden compartments, doors that really open, a real, working, 192 hand-cut dinosaur bone, coprolite, and jasper stone brick incense-burning fireplace, real dinosaur bones, amethyst and millefiori glass windows, and more. It’s not only a work of art but also a functional incense burner and stash box. It is made entirely from found materials and parts from other things we had lying around. It is truly The House that Trash Built.
This sculptural work blurs the line between function and imagination, standing as both a practical object and a symbolic dwelling. Built entirely by hand, The Box That Trash Built serves as a stash box, a hidden chamber, and even a fireplace incense burner. Its architecture is a testament to patience and reinvention, with 192 hand-cut bricks polished from dinosaur bone, coprolite, and jasper. The piece is accented with amethyst panels, a glowing Murano glass window, and a roof covered with 125 individually cut shingles.
Every detail speaks to transformation: sterling silver handles forged and rolled by hand, brass skirting salvaged from an old desk, and a copper roof cap reclaimed from discarded metal. Even the wooden framework carries history, repurposed from porch trim once destined for the scrap pile. With over 1,500 pin nails binding it together, the work celebrates resilience, resourcefulness, and the beauty of giving forgotten materials new life. The Box That Trash Built is not only an object of function—it is a small monument to memory, craft, and reinvention.
This piece was made for an art show at Brews. Brews is known to be one of the most inclusive businesses in Eureka Springs, often being called “Eureka’s Living Room”.
