The inspiration for Puzzle Keychain is the 5 & dime store and it's contents. In the boring desert of the 50's the dime store was a colorful oasis. They have mostly disappeared but Armstrong's memories are clear and present. Lead and plastic soldiers, rubber balls, baseballs and bats, squirt guns, cheap pocketknives, cap pistols, toys from Japan, and parakeets were always in stock. If it was worth having it was probably there. The sculptures for this show are a series of key chain puzzles that could be found at "Ben Franklin's. These were of course made of cheap colorful plastic, and could be had ... for a nickel or a dime. This tribute is much more elaborate. The oversize sculptures are all made out of wood as a sort of tribute to the dying breed of 50's fathers and grandfathers who had a woodshop in the basement and turned out things as impractical as puzzle key chains!
