Artist Statement—Design
The connection between sculpture and functional design is the creation of engaging objects that are fashioned to be integrated into our world rather than put on a pedestal—the chair or table or sofa that both gets us to open our eyes to possibilities as well as providing the place for us to think, react, engage and respond.
Part of this evolution is the deconstruction of our environment, our living space, in order to find the beauty and function in the essential—silencing the cacophony in our world of excess. The challenge is creating originality in the objects that we collide with every day, being freed from the expectation that comfort needs to be complicated. Through simplicity we find balance between the essential and the human need for inspiration.
Artist Statement—Sculpture
I love to create snapshots of everyday life—reflections of recognizable moments. My art encourages the viewer to laugh at themselves and the world we live in. After spending the majority of the past year and a half secluded due to the pandemic, this body of work needed to be carefree and whimsical—to celebrate the return to normalcy, getting outside, feeling the breeze through your hair, hearing laughter again. And with masks finally coming off, seeing smiles again. There is a stage-presence energy that embodies my work—a quality that attracts the viewer’s eye like they are being entertained rather than just looking at a static piece of art. For figurative work to be successful, it must resonate life and breath through movement and energy.
My pieces reflect my personality and, as a result, have given me a recognizable style. The use of real shoes on my figurative work has been my signature incorporated found object. In fact, it’s become more of my signature than actually signing the pieces. The colorful shoes are the exclamation point that initially draws the viewer in. From there, it is my responsibility and challenge to get their attention away from the prop and allow them to discover the emotion of the piece. But I know I am not the first artist to use real objects like shoes in their work.