“The universe is real, but you can’t see it. You have to imagine it.” Alexander Calder
Industrial materials and processes, ideas about placemaking and the creation of unexpected juxtapositions compels me and empowers my art. I use sculpture as a means to harness the energy, intensity and liveliness I feel in the world around me, capturing it through a whimsical use of hue, texture and form.
My works are both light, playful explorations and solid, heavy, metal masses. This playful mix-up of form and series creates contrast that engages and draws viewers in, in novel ways, encouraging them to look at spaces afresh. Site specific projects are particularly appealing to me because of the personal relationship of the artwork to the location and the community.
I am very interested in how art, sculpture, provides atmosphere and identity to physical spaces, shaping neighborhoods in an iconic fashion—placemaking. I also enjoy using art to serve functional purposes (signage, lighting, wayfinding) in a way such that the work engages and highlights the area in its own right, while still serving its purpose. In this vein, my pieces create opportunities for surprise and discovery, showcasing a geographic location with new and exciting experiences that remains true to the space. As I work with physically large structures, completion of my work from initial concept to installed finished sculpture involves working collaboratively. This means building relationships with a wide range of professional craftspeople, from metal fabricators to industrial painters, who are often used to more industrial or architectural applications.
I very much enjoy this process, and find it immensely rewarding to harness the creativity of my partners, address engineering challenges, and solve problems in a hands-on way.