| MFA thesis abridged |
2011 |
I am interested in my response to daily stimuli and the subsequent creation of harmonious compositions of materials, forms, and surfaces. I seek to communicate realizations of what I personally believe to be interesting and congruous material arrangements and spatial orders, using the work as an exploration into a personally affected environment. In the process of creating and assessing my work I seek to further clarify my own criteria used for evaluating my environment. I have found that my reaction to an object in my surroundings may have a lasting impact on my aesthetic preferences even though it may not be consciously recognized at the time, only later emerging as a visual motif in my work.
My reaction to the tangible environment informs my intuition. By parsing out simple elements from complex forms I am able to assess my own response. I seek to work towards a simplification of formal order to establish patterns of organization within my compositions. The uncertainty of not knowing or being able to articulate the correctness of a form or mark is unsettling but the observations are rewarding. The compositions retain in them the record of what visual stimuli inspired me to curate and construct them, even when the direct sources are unknown to me. The excitement of unknown is what perpetuates my thinking. |
| BFA statement | 2008 | Inspiration for my work stems from a fascination with spatial relationships between objects and a desire to explore concepts of restriction and access both physically and psychologically. Using forms inspired by mass-produced objects and architecture, I aim to bring significance to the interior volume contained within my porcelain compositions. Complete visual access to an interior space is restricted by the limited amount of light that penetrates the perforated sections of the forms. These spatial voids and obscured parts imply relationships between the forms; exposed parts protect the unexposed, ultimately bringing the viewer into the relationship. Drawing from industrial design of many ordinary mass-produced objects, my intent is to produce forms with a mechanical aesthetic that do not demand the empathy of the viewer. With the surfaces of the forms I reinterpret graphic design, a discipline with an emphasis on deliberate communication, as an inexpressive output of patterns and orchestrated marks. These homogeneous surface patterns and other repetitious markings further the generic quality of the compositions. Although the compositions are made primarily of porcelain, mixed media elements such as wood, iron and felt are incorporated into the arrangements to contribute to the tone and implied tactile response of the composition. Ultimately the stark arrangements of unspecific objects and corresponding forms reveal characteristics only noticed upon close investigation. |