Artist Statement

"I celebrate and grieve the similarities I share with my figurative sculptures; they are self- examinations. As I construct my ceramic forms, I analyze transitions and changes in my life. I represent myself through clay because I respond to its contrasting abilities to be fleshy yet rigid, geometric yet organic, and simultaneously strong yet fragile - all qualities identifiable and contradictory in human form and spirit. Physically, I may not change much from day to day, but my body is only an exterior mask for my emotions. Shedding the mask, I make myself inversely so that the ceramic exterior reflects my internal state; the fragmented bodily forms are hollow with openings, slits, and cracks revealing interior cavities. Since the initial act of change is unstable and awkward, I feel vulnerable.

My vulnerabilities can be protected or supported by an exterior structure; some thing that is not me, not clay. I build wood, fabric, or metal structures to cradle, push up, or envelop my figures, emphasizing the tension between support and form. I choose wood for its brittleness and strength, metal for its linear, flexible, weight-enduring ability, and fabric for its conforming and expansive protection.

The relationship between exterior structure and ceramic, or my support and myself, becomes a crucial element to the final work and installation; one exists for the other."

This statement is a continual work in progress. After today, I already feel it needs tweaking!

normal work

Egon Shiele- Embrace

My past work has led me down a very exciting trail which includes moving to Normal, Il. Lately, I have been thinking a lot about how necessary vulnerablility is in relationships- especially in changing or progressing ones. I found myself looking and studying different forms of embraces. I looked up the word embrace and found out that almost every definition included the word 'take'. This was mind shattering for me I always felt that embracing was a form of giving something intimate. Don't get me wrong, I still feel an embrace can be energy giving btu doesn't that mean you take the other person's energy? What happens if it is one sided? Can guilt or shame be found in such an embrace? For my upcoming work I want to focus in on the individual within the embrace.

a sense of place

Installing off campus for A Sense of Place was inspiring and informative. Trying to fit my studio working studio became a problem solving situation I needed to face head on; I needed to balance my allotted time with the piece's stages of drying. I worked alongside the curators of the show in the stressful finishing times before the show. Their passion for the show and the work in the show made me focus on my work, making it not so much for me but for them, for the people who would see it. Although I wish I could have had an extra day for more touch ups, I learned how to better budget my time for the next show or time limit I need to function within. The preparation for the show was filled with encouragement from my peers and the curators.

the diversity of one

Cindy Sherman found a way to make herself look like many different ladies, specifically actresses, in her Untitled Film Series. Her concept of starting with one constant and placing it in with variables such as camera angles, clothes, hair styles, expressions, etc. is simple but remarkable.
That same philosophy can be true to many art forms not just photography or acting. From one body of clay a maker could create extremely different results. Take a finished piece and place it in the gallery setting, it could have a regal and sophisticated tone. But place that same piece and put it in someone's cabinet- what atmosphere does it have? Not the same one in the gallery. A sculpture can have a completely different look or even meaning simply by placing it outside vs. inside or inside vs. outside. Presentation holds a lot of weight in the outcome.

For a brief moment in history, I wound up taking a hip-hop class. This only happened because my friend needed a ride and she convinced me to stay and dance instead of leaving and coming back to pick her up.

I CANNOT dance.

My body just won't connect dance moves quickly, especially hip hop. Maybe if there is a slow-mo hip hop I would have a chance, but even when I did get it down I looked terrible, like the moves didn't fit me. But the teacher said something every class that is true for anything, I believe.

"Mechanics is 50% of the game, the other 50% comes from presentation"

When a painting becomes a sculpture...

Albert Pinkham Ryder was a Symbolist painter. His paintings are continuing to evolve even after he is dead because he would continue to had more paint, more layers before the previous layer had dried. In the end, the paint comes off of the canvas in some parts at least an inch. They have physical dimension. The way he applied the paint is an attribute to the finished whole, flowing, gestural, dynamic. By placing strong darks next to vibrant whites the viewer in engaged in the theatrical drama.

a new place to install

Jason de Caires Taylor's new work of underwater sculpture breaks the traditional boundaries of exhibition space. The location of where he shows work becomes an integral part of what the work means and looks like. His work physically evolves overtime as the water claims it as its own. The figures take on a new layer as they become a coral reef and the dying marine life gains a new environment. He places the pieces shallow enough for people to swim down and take a look at them.