About
GENERAL ARTIST STATEMENT
In a reflexive reaction to the violent widening of divisions within our society, I look for simple and direct ways to combine disparate materials, as slow stitching, a traditional craft element found across cultures and time, binds layers together. The new mixed-media group considers perception narratives. Within diversity, do we see variations or hard differences. Do we see same but different, where similarity equals sameness. Do we see differences, where not the same equals the other.
I am an artist who uses numbers. I create wall-based geometric abstractions, where values of digits direct a composition’s formal structure, placement of line, shape, and color relationships. There are two constants in all my work. The use of, or rather dependency on, an algorithm, a system created for visualizing numerical values of sequences from the numbers pi and e. Equally important is an awareness of a material’s specificity, based in the belief that every material process has its own language, its own unique way of acting and reacting. Within the act of stitching, Western embroidery and Sashiko traditions are treated as standalone material languages.
I spent over 20 years creating large works, based on identity narratives, by crocheting fiberglass that was formed by adding polyester resin, a labor-intensive process that engaged my hands at every stage. Number sequences entered the work as part of an expanding identity dialogue. In 2016, I began developing a body of work using laser-cut acrylic sheets separated by vinyl spacers. Driven purely by the math and created almost entirely with the use of digital technology, this process almost completely removed my hand and the sense of my hand from the work. I need to now explore different ways to directly engage the material with my hands and bring some form of humanness back into the work.
During COVID-19 closures, with no access to a laser cutter, I started working the acrylic with hand tools, combining acrylic sheet scraps left over from the laser-cut work, at first with paper gift bags, later with industrial felt, and incorporating traditional embroidery stitches using a variety of yarns and threads. This work is open to engage graphite or other traditional drawing materials and is expanding the transparent/translucent language by adding tinted clear vinyl and organza.