2009, Graphite, oil enamel paint, steel, wood, 23"w x 28"h
I use specific materials to form content that suggest a sense of place. In my designs the use of organic materials, alongside industrially manufactured ones, shows a dichotomy of rural and urban environments. Industrial materials that I use symbolize an empowering urban environment through the use of metals, plastics and other synthetics. These materials joined with more natural ones, such as wood, textile and other organic forms, act as a parallel contrast, giving the viewer a simultaneous read in their juxtaposition.
Many of the industrially fabricated forms that I use are from appliances that I disassemble. I then manipulate materials and design by use of varying techniques. One such technique is the addition of industrial paints onto the surface in graphic painting forms. Paint, as a highly malleable material can express an industrial and graphic hardedge design in contrast to a fluid organic shape. Paint is also able to embellish an actual tactile and physical property allowing an objective response to various technique and materials that I use.
I give individual art pieces street names for titles. This gives reference to urban and rural settings, along with the materials found in such places that contribute an overall design. The street names used as titles to my art works are at times ambiguous to me as well they are to the viewer. Even though the exact location is ambiguous to the viewer the titles allow a sense of placement in a community. Whether the name is site specific or not, the use of these titles hints toward a physical place, allowing an analysis of materials and techniques employed.
A Daimler Company
