Studio Practice
Through an investigation of labor, routine, compulsion, repetition, and home I attempt to
uncover some underlying structures that define contemporary life. The cyclical patterns
that are created through various daily activities, such as the preservation of home and
body, are examined through piles and stacks of ordinary household objects. The exploration
of the duality between chaos and order highlights the extent at which we senselessly, and at
times compulsively, struggle to sterilize, organize and simplify our lives.
My compulsive nature of art making is mimetic of daily chores in the home and an ongoing
struggle with ceaseless labor. The inclusion of labor, excessive repetition, compulsion,
and aesthetics in art making is similar, and in itself an unending process. It is a type
of process that can contribute to moments of extreme boredom and fatigue or moments of
satisfying creativity and contemplation, leading to an exploration of self that can
become, in essence, mental and physical claustrophobia.
The history, tradition, and use of functional ceramics in everyday life is referenced
in the press molded plates, cups, and bowls that signify home. In using this history,
I struggle to discover new and inventive methods that can both challenge and build upon
ceramic traditions.