Challenge: How to pay tribute and show the passage of time within a home and family that have lived in the same house for 45 years and live by Murphy’s Law — what can go wrong — will go wrong?

Solution: Build a whimsical Steampunk ‘Memory’ sculpture that starts with the Tree of life, central clock and ‘flying’ time and records a lifetime of family joy, memories and path forward to new experiences and events.

All of the Little Details Add Up: Even though the historic letter type trays used as the sculpture’s “foundation” allowed for an orderly and “compartmentalized” structure, Bruce said he wanted the family mementos to “float” and reach out towards the viewer – because Life isn’t always neat and structured like we may want it to be.

Part of what makes the sculpture so special to the family is the small but important moments in life that are represented. From wine that was uncorked for important toasts to a flying anchovy can to honor a beloved cat – the sculpture is the embodiment of the family’s time together.

On the right-hand side is the couple’s “bride and groom” wedding cake topper. Surrounding them is the traditional Jewish Chuppah, which is made from an upside-down horseshoe that was uncovered when the family began to dig a basement for the home.

The horseshoe in this orientation is also a reminder of “Murphy’s Law”, in contrast to the typical direction a horseshoe is hung to denote “good” luck.

Copper wiring is used to create the trunk, branches, and roots of the family tree. Among the branches, color photos of current family members and more recent events are connected and displayed.

Lower down in the sculpture, parents and grandparent family members appear in black and white and sepia tone photos. The roots of the tree reach down into actual dirt that was saved from the ground dug beneath the house and held in place with resin to preserve its original color and texture.