Artist Statement
I am intrigued by how our sensory awareness affects our experience of visual art.
To me texture is a great way to invite the viewer to use their senses other than
sight to experience my work. I want the viewer to not only look but also touch and
listen and explore the work in ways we are often not encouraged to do. When a
viewer picks up one of my pieces they see the detailed carving, feel the unique
tactile quality of the surface and then also realize that the piece makes sounds.
This is my way of acknowledging that the work was meant to be touched. It's
part of the experience.
My work reminds people of things they have found on the floor of the forest,
something they have touched in a tide pool or a single cell organism once viewed
under a microscope. My ceramic pieces aren't any of these things in particular.
They are small abstract objects that reference many biological entities without
being any one specifically. Many of the forms and surfaces feel both familiar
and yet foreign. Much of this has to do with the source of the marks and my own
personal working process.
The surfaces of my pieces often start from everyday kitchen utensils, textiles
and household tools. I then hand carve, sculpt and draw upon the surface. This
is just the beginning of a multi-layered process. Each piece is then burnished,
washed, waxed, sanded and fired multiple times. The result is a piece of art that
is both wonderful to look at and wonderful to touch.
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