NOTHING & EVERYTHING IS BLACK & WHITE
Clay, glaze, salvaged metal, mesh, and bike tubes // 6' x 6' x 10’’ // 2021
LiVING SCULPTURES
Unfired paper clay, biomass, seed & compost // 10’ x 2.5’ 10’ // 2020
In this installation, I am testing clay, compost, and native wildflower seed ratios to yield the best germination results. The sculptures sit on a bed of bentonite in a plexiglass box or 'eco-chamber' and I drip water from the separatory funnels that hang above the pieces to mimic rainfall. As the pieces become saturated they disintegrate, the compost and clay protect the seeds from drying out and the biomass I build these sculptures with becomes the material they grow from.
BLEACHED
Paperclay, salvaged shards, glaze & plastic tire regrind // 20’ x 17’ x 32’’// 2019
This installation is greatly informed by study of marine biology and undergraduate research at the Great Barrier Reef and a recent research trip to the Galapagos Islands. As I explored the remote beaches and swam in the waters of these iconic islands 600 miles off the coast of South America, I was devastated by the amount of plastic I saw suffocating the landscape. Due to the three major currents surrounding the islands, plastic waste is being carried from all corners of the planet, altering this pristine ecosystem in detrimental ways. Realizing even in the far off places of the world what a global threat plastic pollution is, I felt compelled to come home and make this work.
The pieces of this installation sit on a bed of ground-up plastic trashcan wheels that represent the significant human impact plastic is having on the Earth’s geology. Each organism I created was simultaneously a celebration of diversity and a mourning of the loss of planet’s coral reef’s inhabitants. This work examines the devastating impacts marine plastics are having on coral reefs reminding us of our connection and responsibility to each other and every other living being. In our daily lives we have an opportunity to make a difference by curbing our usage of plastic before coral reefs disappear from the earth.
Reoccupied
Environmental, site-specific installation built in an abandoned kiln. Unfired paperclay, slip casted forms & cast-off plant material // 20' x 10’ x 10' // 2017
Resilient
Environmental, site-specific installation built on an abandoned concrete footer. Unfired paperclay, slip casted forms, cast-off plant material & bricks // 20' x 9’ x 9' // 2017
