sculpture
I appreciate things that are slightly off and build sculptures with stark contrasts between gritty building materials and tactile fabric to make the tension between necessity and embellishment visible. Growing up, I lived in a house while an addition was being constructed. There was an obvious line that separated the finished, carpeted, lived-in house from the new wooden construction. The smell of sawdust, drywall and paint and the sound of the chop saw and classic rock were not affected by this boundary. Poor planning, no building codes and quick improvisations caused some problems. The stairs were installed upside down, making the steps steep and the landings narrow. The ceilings were built 10” too low, the bottom of doors are cut off, the doorknobs are knee-high and round objects roll off tables. As a result of spending over a decade in this house, I appreciate in-the-moment problem solving, knowing how something is made, and a good sense of humor.
rules for making (in no particular order):
• no hierarchy of materials
•subvert expected use
•complicate binaries, stereotypes and associations
•misuse, misapply
•allow for variable arrangements
•repeat, reiterate, reuse
•consider the subversive possibilities of the excessive, fantastic, and necessary
•always let the labor be visible
