Artist Statement

I build miniature architectural structures based on the objective of finding privacy and creating a sense of place in the natural world. When I am alone in different landscapes, I am at the edge of a great power that I will never fully comprehend. The architectural miniatures that I construct imply this reality by providing a focal point around which the viewer may imagine a solitary world of their choosing. Through the recognizable language of the miniature, the viewer is able to project themselves into each object. To work mindfully toward material and assembly, I build with a constant sense of play. Organizing objects, setting stages, building forts and exploring the natural world are the most thrilling parts of my practice. These works often only depict the most basic needs of a living space, as simple as a flat space to rest upon. Through research into architectural theory, spatial psychology, and direct interaction with the Maine landscape, I seek to collect and reuse the simple genius of historic carpentry. The perspective of metalsmithing gives me a mental framework that I use to approach all materials. I take great pleasure in finding how objects connect; exploring the strength that can be generated from thin pieces of veneer or paper, how much a pin can bend, or how much a beam can be charred before it loses its structural integrity. In my quest to imply a vast, unseen landscape surrounding my work, delicate and ephemeral materials such as ash, paper, and burnt wood depict the impact of the elements upon these spaces. Through this relationship of material and structure, my work provides a focal point for solitude and contemplation of an endless reality beyond view.