artist statement
I create ceramic sculpture informed by the human
inclination to imitate, interpret and manipulate aspects of
the physical universe. I am inspired by the “architecture
of nature” and its inventive aptitude for survival and perpetuation. My
vocabulary of form and surface is derived from abstract manifestations of nature
present in our architecture, textiles, and everyday design. The mold-made conglomerations
I make, with their plastic-like acrylic surfaces, speak of the intersection of
our artificial and natural worlds.
Nature, the ultimate architect, has perfected strategies
for building stronger, lighter structures, securing survival
in an ecology that is simultaneously cutthroat
and delicate. Simple, robust and resilient curves comprise a flower's form,
lending durability to what is otherwise the frailest
of stock. Layers upon layers of
pulp, a composite of cellulose fibers, wrap concentrically along the length
of trees providing flexibility rivaling the most fervent
of gusts. There is safety
in numbers, as every blade of grass on an open plain contributes to the survival
of its neighbor and of the whole. This consummate marriage of physics and aesthetics
provides the basis for the structure and energy of my ceramic vessels and sculptures.
On a daily basis I am affected by interpretations and manipulations
of nature from the world around me. There are beautifully
abstract representations of
nature in everyday adornment, like the silhouette of a berry or leaf pattern
from a
piece of textile or magazine layout. Also, there is the strange hyperrealism
of never wilting, plastic calla lilies, made to appear as “fresh cut”.
And then there are bizarre hybrids of the natural and artificial, like the
apples injected with artificial grape flavoring, or the faux-fresh, dyed
red fillets
of farm raised salmon.
The casting process I use produces certain formal characteristics
while referencing the industrially shaped, mass-produced
and commercially available objects
of our society. I use ceramics primarily for its material properties and
technical
possibilities as well as for its historical significance. The poured acrylic
surface softens and plasticizes the hardened clay, and alludes to the flattened
color and chemical make-up of contemporary designer objects produced for
our homes.
