MFA Thesis Exhibition.2018

The Multivalence of Materiality:
The work I produce is derived by the syntax of material. Through the action of separating natural and man-made elements from their environment, and creating potential composition after living with these elements in my studio, I create dialogues between the objects, forming connections and relationships that lie within my controlled arrangements. My adopted materials become momentary paintings that eliminate the concern of having a deliberate beginning and a conclusion, ultimately embracing happenstance and open-ended transformation.

Focusing on form follows material, I choose to work with materials simultaneously to identify agency. Concrete, foam, wood, charcoal and moss are examples of the materials that I come into contact with on a daily basis. Each one of these materials has practical functions.  My intention as the maker/artist is to remove a material’s functional identity, and allow the elements to communicate together as I live with them over time.  As long as this conversation continues, the potential exists for the work to change.

Negotiation 2018, is an installation piece that is 13x4’, consumed by individual dirt formations. Components of my studio practice are crumpled and absorbed by collected dirt and soil. These components consist of notes, strips of old paintings, rocks, and photographs. The installation itself is nailed and assembled in 4 rows, with an additional row stopping mid sentence to indicate a future continuation. There is no specific distance between the individual clumps of dirt, as I continue to place them along each other as a documentation of my time spent in the studio.

As I collect, observe and assemble my choices and decisions are guided by my sensations. Working in such an intuitive manner, I am able to expand what I see as intrinsic connections between various materials ultimately leading to new areas of investigation. As a traditionally trained painter, such an approach can be daunting, but at the same time, exciting and liberating.