My Puzzled Mind

The first sculpture I ever fell in love with was Jim Dine’s Two Big Black Hearts at deCordova near Boston. It was a warm sunny day and I recall initially seeing it from across an expansive field of grass. It was striking at a distance. We began walking towards it and the details of the surface were slowly revealed. Are those… tools? We walked close enough to touch it. What a masterpiece, I was speechless.

The experience left an indelible impression on me. It catalyzed a lifelong passion for sculpture as a medium, semi-figurative as a genre, and the notion that a single piece could appear to be one thing far away and a different one up close. These themes have guided our collection ever since.

As we started to commission pieces, the artist would often ask for examples of what moved me. Two Big Black hearts was always the go-to answer. Over the years I looked into acquiring a piece from Jim but they were always out of reach financially or otherwise infeasible.

In April 2024, I was in Venice for the opening of the Biennale. I had spent the day visiting the installations on the main campus and was riding the water bus back to my hotel. Leaning against the outer rail of the boat, gazing into the distance, I noticed a banner hanging from one of the buildings facing the canal. It read “JIM DINE: DOG ON THE FORGE.” 

Oh my god, let me off this boat immediately.

I got off at the next stop, which was thankfully on the correct bank of the canal. I had to navigate the labyrinth that is the streets of Venice, but eventually found my way to Palazzo Rocca, the 14th century palace with the banner. As I walked through the portal into the courtyard, My Puzzled Mind stood sentry and was the first piece that greeted visitors. I was immediately in love. I couldn’t believe my luck to have found this exhibition of roughly 50 new works by Jim. I had no idea it was happening when I booked the trip to Venice. The grin never left my face as I walked slowly and deliberately through the palace, savoring each piece. To this day, the Dog on the Forge exhibition remains one of my favorite art experiences.

I asked to chat with the gallery manager and we had a discussion about the piece. If I were to acquire it, how would I get it from the courtyard in Venice to Eugene, Oregon, I asked? Oh, this is the Artist Proof, she said. Jim’s foundry is actually located in Oregon. What? You mean I can just drive over with a trailer and pick it up - no shipping cost? This was beginning to feel like fate. That night I called Michelle to explain the opportunity. She was equally excited, so we agreed to purchase it.

A year later, the piece was cast by Blue Mountain Fine Art in Baker City and installed here at Chaos Vineyard in May 2025.

I continue to be amazed at how improbable the circumstances were that led this piece to land at Chaos. What if I had been standing on the other side of the boat? What if I had stayed at the Biennale longer and it was dark when I passed by Jim’s exhibition? What if the Foundry wasn’t located in Oregon and the shipping cost put it out of reach?

It remains the centerpiece of our collection.

Further reading: Olympe Racana-Weiler wrote a beautiful essay about the piece here.