I enjoy experimenting with unusual materials and methods and am fascinated by the simple alchemy of transforming humble materials, often trash, into things of beauty with texture and depth. My current work borrows from the designs and negative spaces found in food containers: salad, water, soda bottles, muffin and cake lids.  Much of our food is packaged in beautifully designed plastics. We don’t think about the source, ingredients and production of our food, much of which has added sugars and preservatives that harm us.  I cast these forms in white Portland cement to resemble bleached bones or fossils, to suggest history, perhaps extinction.  Gender and the environment are also themes found in my work, often borrowing from the concept of Kintsugi. Translated to “golden joinery,” Kintsugi is the centuries-old Japanese art of fixing broken pottery with a special lacquer dusted with powdered gold. Philosophically, Kintsugi celebrates an objects unique history by emphasizing its imperfections instead of hiding or disguising them, often making the repaired object even more beautiful than the original.

Concrete is an ancient and versatile material and I am fascinated with the possibilities of casting forming and coloring it. It is the most commonly used construction material in the world, used to build the foundations of our homes and cities, and it is recognized worldwide.  Using concrete and found objects, I create environments that address the relationship between nature, architecture and the inevitable ruins of civilization. I often cast concrete forms out of food containers, tin ceiling tiles and fabric molds, sometimes integrating doilies, found porcelain objects or 24K gold leaf. Tin ceiling tile patterns represent the boundaries of our lives while also connecting us to history as these Tin tiles were introduced into late 19th century home design and are commonly found in homes through the 20th Century and today. Lastly, an ever-present vein in my work is the concept of Kintsugi- an ancient Japanese technique for healing broken pottery with gold leaf. Conceptually, it suggests that we repair something that has given us many years of love and service, but restore it so that it is more beautiful than it was before. For me, this concept resembles a life well loved. We humans are a constantly changing landscape of fracture, repair and growth. 

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