Statement
With the passing of time, I reflect upon my place in this contemporary culture of ceaseless change and transition. The need for more succinct communication weighs heavily upon me. I am drawn into the simple memories of family gatherings where anecdotes and ideas were shared. Flipping through black and white photo albums documenting history of brief lives lived, wisdom is shared just as through childhood song and storybook. I realize that the past is a way to understand and appreciate the present. The use of symbolic narrative transmits valuable information down the line of generations. I grow more appreciative and understanding of what our ancestors found important, so much so that they felt the need to share through allegorical tale.
It is the accessible themes of stories that allows for us to communicate with each other more readily. By finding kinship with the past and referencing symbols that have been widely used, I create sculptures which refer to the emotional conflicts faced by us all in our brief existence. The more we can address our issues and relate to one another despite differing frames of references, the more harmonious our lives can be.
I am creating sculptural narrative vignettes, which rely heavily upon symbolically laden content and often relate to specific individuals. The process of collecting background information and insightful imagery is important to me because it informs aesthetic and narrative choices that I make. I prefer to take specific emblematic tokens - flowers, animals, picture frames, pills, VHS tapes, mirrors, thimbles, gloves, books - from the accounts of these lives and replicate them in clay in abundance. I consider my subjects and find the most appropriate space to present their stories, with large amounts of these small-scale cherished clay items filling the site – a gallery, a library alcove, a mausoleum or cemetery plot, an area referencing a living room, an actual living room. The more I can gather and understand, the more I can create and express. Homage, tribute, and communication with the past become possible when constructing these narratives.
Being drawn to eras gone by, I am influenced by Victorian tinted photos and black and white graphic prints, driving me to using only hints of color. I feel that this relates to the idea of fading with time. The duality of clay, in its strength and fragility, also speaks to the durability and ephemeral nature of human existence and transmission of ideas. The scale of the intimate object alludes to the preciousness of all life, however brief it might be. Large installations of significant emblems refer to the impact of each person’s narrative. With enough consideration a dialog can occur even with those who no longer exist in a direct physical sense.
With the passing of time, I reflect upon my place in this contemporary culture of ceaseless change and transition. The need for more succinct communication weighs heavily upon me. I am drawn into the simple memories of family gatherings where anecdotes and ideas were shared. Flipping through black and white photo albums documenting history of brief lives lived, wisdom is shared just as through childhood song and storybook. I realize that the past is a way to understand and appreciate the present. The use of symbolic narrative transmits valuable information down the line of generations. I grow more appreciative and understanding of what our ancestors found important, so much so that they felt the need to share through allegorical tale.
It is the accessible themes of stories that allows for us to communicate with each other more readily. By finding kinship with the past and referencing symbols that have been widely used, I create sculptures which refer to the emotional conflicts faced by us all in our brief existence. The more we can address our issues and relate to one another despite differing frames of references, the more harmonious our lives can be.
I am creating sculptural narrative vignettes, which rely heavily upon symbolically laden content and often relate to specific individuals. The process of collecting background information and insightful imagery is important to me because it informs aesthetic and narrative choices that I make. I prefer to take specific emblematic tokens - flowers, animals, picture frames, pills, VHS tapes, mirrors, thimbles, gloves, books - from the accounts of these lives and replicate them in clay in abundance. I consider my subjects and find the most appropriate space to present their stories, with large amounts of these small-scale cherished clay items filling the site – a gallery, a library alcove, a mausoleum or cemetery plot, an area referencing a living room, an actual living room. The more I can gather and understand, the more I can create and express. Homage, tribute, and communication with the past become possible when constructing these narratives.
Being drawn to eras gone by, I am influenced by Victorian tinted photos and black and white graphic prints, driving me to using only hints of color. I feel that this relates to the idea of fading with time. The duality of clay, in its strength and fragility, also speaks to the durability and ephemeral nature of human existence and transmission of ideas. The scale of the intimate object alludes to the preciousness of all life, however brief it might be. Large installations of significant emblems refer to the impact of each person’s narrative. With enough consideration a dialog can occur even with those who no longer exist in a direct physical sense.