What do you aim to say by the themes in your art?

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My art practice has always been putting together the pieces. Reimagined through re-use, my work is informed by my former career as a jewelry designer, my passion for foraging and collecting antiques, harvesting broken appliances and other damaged objects, and rescuing found objects from the street to recontextualize them in my assemblage sculptures. My many fascinations, including archaeology, time travel, and love of the American Southwest and Native American art inform elements and themes found within my imagery.  
My goal is to go beyond obvious assumptions, prompting the viewer to wonder, “Where are we? Who is here with us? How big or small are we? Are we awake or dreaming?”, continually challenging them to reevaluate one’s sense of time, place, and orientation.

Where does your inspiration come from?

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So many of my life experiences manifest in my work. My background in philosophy in part
informs the narrative. Being a highly visual person, I store in my mind imagery seen in my
travels, nature, museums, and the patterns in the everyday environment. I love objects, and frequent yard sales, flea markets and always have my eyes open for found objects. Often the objects themselves drive the work; other times I have a theme in mind and search for the objects I need to complete the vision.

Do you have any experiences that have impacted your art?

 

My father was a very creative and mechanically sophisticated jack-of-all-trades. I grew up
poking around his workroom. My favorite thing to do as a child was to go to the hardware store with him. If an appliance was beyond repair, he took it apart and saved all the pieces; I call him the original recycler. I inherited his collection of objects and have a large stash of his vintage parts that I use in my work. My first career was as a jewelry designer and manufacturer, so my jeweler skills always come into play in how I think about combining elements and the ways in which to make connections.

Do you feel your art challenges existing barriers?

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There are many wonderful assemblage artists in the world, but I feel I have a unique practice in that my work pushes boundaries, tells stories that foster thought and dialogue, and go beyond the just the aesthetically pleasing.

 

 What are your long-term artistic goals?

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My current work is mostly small scale, and I would like the opportunity to create larger
installations in either a corporate, commercial or public setting.

 What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

 

Do the work that comes out of your heart and head, and do not be sidetracked by others’
perceptions of what is good or popular.