Artist Statement

A celebration of impermanence.

Time. Nature. Fragility. The familial.

There is a fragility in working with drawing instruments on a malleable surface that can be ripped or scarred. It is these imperfections that give character and interest. Accidental bends or folds are embraced instead of rejected. Creases and wrinkles become a part of the story of the creation. Some imperfections are visible from the front, some from the back. All serve as commentary on the human condition. The use of pencils and other drawing instruments aids in exerting control over this temperamental medium. There is a false sense of control as the hand can slip or a movement in a line be disrupted. The energy exerting the force in the drawing process ebbs and flows. We are never truly in control of anything.

Nature is an important theme as creation and destruction are cyclical. As patterns are encoded in the DNA of living things, so can these patterns be disrupted and manipulated, whether intentional or accidental. The drawn patterns in these works are disrupted in increments line by line. In the end, there is a decision to be made as to whether the work will be further disrupted. The employment of wet folding techniques adds drama to the otherwise slow process of creation. Water as a destructive property in nature also aids in its reshaping. The illusion of free will overpowers as decisions need to be made quickly and spontaneously with unpredictable results. This tension is as exhilarating as it is untenable. The result is unknown until the last moment.

Instead of rejecting the idea of impermanence, it is embraced in the creative process. The resulting works have no “correct” way of being displayed or viewed, as it is left to the viewer to interpret their experience how they wish. For pieces with multiple components, these may be rearranged. As works are often completed in pairs they come from the same DNA. They are siblings, cousins, and distant relations sent out into the world. Sometimes they are intentionally separated to exist as individuals. By the same token, a singular piece may be spliced into two parts. Should they end up on different parts of the planet, might they be reunited one day?