Artist Statement

Obtaining, for me, is a highly addictive activity; such a guilty pleasure is redolent of gambling, drugs, sex, or lying.

When I walk into a thrift store, my favorite place to look for materials, I become a predator who prays on the weak and lonely. Not to sound vulturous, but there is something inherently attractive about the inferior. I see its struggles, its endeavor, its sadness, its obscure potential crying out to me for a second chance. So, I strike a bargain for them to be reborn in my studio.

Numerous acquired fragments lay out on my table, like clues to a murder, energizing my eyes and brain. There are intrinsic connections between the objects, ones which only I can see. Matching colors, clashing surfaces, compatible shapes, these are only hints to start. Sometimes, it wouldn’t hurt to take a leap of faith. Jam two pieces together, who knows where they would land?

When two or more disparate pieces join together across time, culture, discipline, and death as if they have never been separated, I transfix in reverie. They speak to each other like soulmates, from sharing origin stories to debating practical partnership, talking cliches like “you complete me,” awing at the bliss of fate. This is a redemption of the past, a romance between objects, and a symphony for integration.