In This Exhibition
Past Works
Nature’s impressive power to nurture, destroy, and instigate reflection draws me towards the life it leaves behind. I enjoy finding new ways to work with and present objects and materials that are commonly thought of as fixed in their way. Nature produces the greatest beauty. Rather than trying to recreate this beauty, I use it in my work. Acknowledging the energy expended by nature to create beauty, I attempt to reciprocate through my own physical practice. Repurposing materials once alive allows me to reflect on my own place within nature and the dynamics of my relationship with the world around me.
For my current work, I collect shells once home to other beings; I give these shells a new purpose and they afford me a material to explore through thought and physical manipulation. Searching for shells fills my mind with thoughts and questions about the life and allure of a shell, and my place in ultimately taking them for myself. Shells are sparse in most parts of the world, except for where they are amazingly abundant. The hunt becomes a quest for a single shell, or an exercise of judgment, precision and random whims among the multitude of fragile beauty beneath my feet.
Working with found wood forces a combination between the act of search and creation. I search both for what I believe will be beautiful and useful and create based on the inspiration from what I find. This activity of searching forms as a treasure in my memory. A shine, color or shape makes a shell jump out among the rest while a groove, grain pattern or log shape draws me in. Is it the specific object, or a fleeting emotion that makes each one special?
Most treasure maps lead to objects never found, only dreamed of. We picture the chest, hidden away, but rarely know what was left inside. For me, the search for treasure is the greatest joy. Treasure presents itself in different ways, but it is always something that takes my mind to a space that is entirely present within the happiness, beauty, or amazement of a moment.
My work aims to create a space of wonderment. I assemble common objects to function in unfamiliar and unexpected ways. What was once strong may now tip over with a slight breeze; what usually reacts to the sea’s movement now rests high above all else. I assemble a jungle of driftwood and shells surrounding the central, yet most fleeting, element. The actual treasure is unknown, but as long as we find joy in the search, treasures find ways to present themselves in our lives.