Using cottonwood tree branches and other found objects, he, along with his twin brother Dee Steen, created an elaborate visionary environment at their home in Roundup, Montana.
[1] Using wood sourced from the cottonwood trees growing along the Musselshell River, Steen created a large number of "tree people",[2] humanoid figures given additional features with found objects including coffee cans, bottlecaps, and beer tabs.
Steen's yard was further filled with discarded junk, tamed wild animals, and artworks made by Dee out of metal and automobile parts.
[4] John A. Armstrong, of the Yellowstone Art Center, and Jim Todd, of the University of Montana, took an interest in Steen's work, and organized an exhibition thereof in 1973.
[5] The Paris Gibson Square Museum describes Steen's work as "possess[ing] a magical quality that defies precise definition".