He spent the rest of his life working on it when he wasn't teaching. The house dated from the late 19th Century and was well worn. He decided to preserve its dilapidated walls by coating them in many, many layers of polyurethane varnish. He also installed some unique lighting fixtures,
and art that highlighted the walls.
He incorporated the walls' imperfections into pieces.
After the artist's death a patron of the arts bought the house and set up a foundation so that the public could see it. Tours are offered and well worth taking.
When the bureau chief and family toured the house in August pieces by New York Conceptual Artist Tony Matelli were displayed. The smaller of the two metal windows above, made by Matelli, is a homage to the larger window from which Ireland removed the glass and replaced it with a sheet of copper. But he then provided a written description of what one could see through the window if that was possible.
Another Matelli piece highlights the environment.
And finally there is "Josh" which is simply uncanny.
