TIME PRESENT / TIME PAST
Art acts most powerfully for me, when against all odds, it is at its core, beautiful. As a transplant to New Mexico, drawn to the textures of the landscape, I employ foraged materials such as natural dyes extracted from local plants and foods, and clay and sand from the hight desert grounds. Mixing them with materials such as graphite, pastel, charcoal, and ink, I bring them together into various configurations and fleeting constellations.
My pieces are both “internal,” and “feminine,” as well as “external” and “masculine.” I look toward a world in which, the construct of a “male” abstract vs. a “feminine” corporeal has lost its binary distinctions and values. Limited by our Western views, I look toward Buddhist principles or, here in the U.S. Southwest, to Native American views of the world.
While aware of the power of modern aesthetics, I have moved past the time-worn term, “abstract art.” By initiating unfettered happenings to occur upon the surface, such as, sleeping on top of paper, allowing the movement of our bodies to tear or crease the paper, or the staining and spilling of food and juices on top of the surface which occurs during cooking and eating, I give nod to both non-objective and sometimes representational imagery into the work. In this way, I invite everyday experiences and chance, to catalyze the work. Back in the studio, I bring intention into the work, creating an integration of the unconscious and conscious.