artist statement
I am compelled by the indexical nature of clay—its ability to register experience, not unlike a photograph. The word understand, in Old English translates simply as: to stand under, or among; while in Greek: to stand upon or before—both etymologies imply that understanding is experienced through the body. In a world of waning physical contact, I press clay onto the people, places and things around me. I press clay onto my life as a way to be present in it.
My work explores avenues of connection while grappling with notions of documentation, preservation and control.
I see clay as a metaphor for the material world—the stuff of which we are all made. When I press clay onto something or someone, it becomes a physical embodiment of the space between. It is my connection to, and protection from, the world.