Artist / Educator
I am attracted to both the flow of fabric and the elements of construction that transform an unstructured surface into a sculptured form that fits a human body. Seams, edgings, buttons, zippers and all the other ways that cloth becomes clothing find their way into my current body of work.
Like an abstract painting, my work emerges from a process of deconstructing and then reassembling the fractured elements from my collection of discarded clothing. I hand stitch the garment fragments into a low relief sculpture, then solidify the surface by applying multiple layers of canvas priming gesso.
By overlapping many thin layers of pigmented acrylic glazes, I can build sumptuous, muted color fields punctuated by flashes of vivid chromatic hues. This use of a limited, muted pallet combined with the fragmented, twisted and often inverted garments evoke a sense of mystery. While viewing and contemplating the contorted landscape of undulating folds, crisp seams and unusual textures, a narrative emerges, similar to the process of piecing together the vaguely remembered scenes from a dream.
