Through my sculpture, I attempt to distort traditional assumptions relating to purpose while also suggesting a
conceptual relationship between life and industry. My primary method is to create forms that appear to be
utilitarian, which serve only aesthetic purposes. By taking common objects out of context they can be given a
different identity that may lead the viewer to make unanticipated comparisons. These visual metaphors point
people away from what they might take for granted towards a view of an oddly humorous world that is made up
of vaguely familiar elements. These are the re-invented associations made between the overlooked and the half
forgotten things that reside in my memory.
The contrasting relationship between hard and soft forms is a consistent point of interest that influences how I
construct visual situations. Their interaction is a prevailing formal element in all the objects that I have made.
Each piece tells a slightly different story. Some suggest a tranquil association between two very different
components. Others allude to machines that can manipulate organic things and sometimes biomorphic forms
start to take on mechanical characteristics. All of them attempt to illustrate the sense of irony that exists when
objects are separated from their function and are presented in an unfamiliar circumstance.
Numerous preliminary drawings lead to experiments in various plastic materials, such as clay. I prefer to start
with familiar objects and strip away information until they become less and less recognizable. The objects take
on new characteristics with overlapping points of allusion and meaning. The resulting forms are references to,
rather than literal representations of machines or living organisms. The goal is to create finished compositions
that leave the viewer with the comfort of familiarity and the uncertainty of not being able to truly identify or
categorize any of the forms.
I think of my sculptures as found objects of my imagination. Each design is the result of personal observations of
my surroundings that have been processed and re-invented in my mind. My ideas go through many evaluations
during the design process and construction of each sculpture. I generate and develop most of my ideas through
the use of preliminary drawings and clay maquettes. It is very rare, however, that I am able to completely plan
out a finished sculpture ahead of time. Many corrections or design revisions are made during the construction of
each piece. The experience is always one of inquiry that often leads to unforeseen forms and compositions.
The materials have been chosen because of the reference they make to specific tactile experiences. Steel has long
been associated with durability and utility but I make every effort to focus attention on the materials surface
quality. The implied movement of the piece contradicts all the things that we understand about steel and bronze.
The materials are distressed in an effort to reproduce the effects of use or age. These are further clues pointing to
the notion that these objects may have experienced a former life.
The craftsmanship in making sculpture is essential knowledge to the process of producing tangible
representations of ideas. The last twenty-five years have been devoted to bridging the gap between what I can
imagine and what I can build. While I believe the idea to be the primary component of any work of art, I invest a
great deal of thought into improving the technical quality of the things I make. As my technical knowledge keeps
pace with my increasing visual vocabulary so does my curiosity at what I might discover on my next visit to the
studio.
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