Ruminations
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Date
2004
Authors
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Publisher
Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture
Abstract
What is most important to me in the making of my artwork is the pleasure it gives me to work with materials and forms. When manipulating materials into shapes my intentions center around the corporeal relationship of the viewer to the artwork as well as the space they both will inhabit. For example, my piece 'Yoke' jumps from one wall to the other in a sweeping and gravity-defying gesture, thus coming forward to meet the viewer. This is a gesture which the viewer completes by either coming closer to touch the piece, or by the more aloof route of mere contemplation. The actual sources for the type of imagery I use in my work vary in origin as much as my personal experience does. For example, the idea for the shape of 'Ruminant' came from a stretched out nautilus shell, and its rocking motion suggested to me the repetitiveness of ruminating. On the other hand, the shape of 'Yoke' is a variation I derived from ancient Mayan ceremonial belts, speculated to have been used during Mayan ball-game rituals. I use these images simply because I find their forms intriguing--in other words, I like the way they twist, turn and activate positive and negative space. My familiarity with these objects is just a testimony to either my interest in nature or my background as a Meso-American--that is, these objects are within my range of experience. The way I use materials is also a reflection of intersections of my experiences. For example, the way I use steel as lines to create volumetric forms reflects my interest in drawing. Furthermore, in my younger years I used to work as a farm hand in western Honduras. The look and feel of hay and grass is a subtle but powerful memory, as well as a very direct symbol of the food chain we are a link within.