Artist's
Statement
I
discovered metal as an art form while at UMASS in 1992 when taking a
welding class on a whim. Always a hoarder of the discarded and used,
I was drawn to the shapes and patinas of the broken farm equipment and
rusted gears rather than the shiny sheets of new metal available in
the foundry. Manipulating a shape with heat continues to be pure magic
for me.
I combine these
worn metal elements with other materials such as wood, paper, clay and
small found objects to create both functional and purely sculptural
pieces. Usually a single shape will suggest a gesture or the beginning
of an idea. I tend to work on 2 or 3 pieces at the same time, solving
problems and sometime waiting for months to realize the final detail
needed to complete a sculpture.
My work with old
and discarded books is a more intimate form of expression. Metal icon
boxes are often created to contain these books. Smaller bits and pieces
with their own history and character are used in combination with the
words exposed on the open page.
Metal continues
to be my primary method of expression, generally humorous and unexpected.
The book manipulations are surprisingly just a smaller, more controlled
attempt to continue this same expression.
.