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.

My compulsive nature of art making is mimetic of daily chores in the home and an ongoing struggle with ceaseless labor.