I took the pieces you threw away and put them together by night and day. Washed by rain, Dried by sun, a million pieces all in one.
-Howard Finster
Artist Statement
In my work I illustrate imagery of barns, churches, and everyday objects. I grew up surrounded by many of these monuments of rural architecture and I have come to find a little of myself in them. When I see them I am inspired to reflect, making me nostalgic, sentimental, or melancholy. I understand utilitarian objects to have an aesthetic origin and a reason to be studied and appreciated. From pottery to architecture, I often find things that are banal and unassuming to be the most beautiful, and I want my art to praise objects for their function, as well as their history.
I appreciate both ceramics and printmaking, as they are both methodical processes with a wide scope of techniques from which I can draw. I’m obsessed with surfaces, and much of my work seeks to capture or convey marks and textures I have observed. For instance, recently I’ve been constructing clay barns by pressing soft slabs of clay into a carved bisque mold, and then cutting out and attaching the slabs. Each barn resembles the last, but with its own unique fingerprint. My printmaking is primarily focused on experimentation and overcoming personal creative obstacles. I take advantage of several different methods of printing for a single print work, as well as variations in color. These processes feel rooted in everydayness and commodity. Both have a rich history, born from traditional methods which have stood the test of time.
In my work I illustrate imagery of barns, churches, and everyday objects. I grew up surrounded by many of these monuments of rural architecture and I have come to find a little of myself in them. When I see them I am inspired to reflect, making me nostalgic, sentimental, or melancholy. I understand utilitarian objects to have an aesthetic origin and a reason to be studied and appreciated. From pottery to architecture, I often find things that are banal and unassuming to be the most beautiful, and I want my art to praise objects for their function, as well as their history.
I appreciate both ceramics and printmaking, as they are both methodical processes with a wide scope of techniques from which I can draw. I’m obsessed with surfaces, and much of my work seeks to capture or convey marks and textures I have observed. For instance, recently I’ve been constructing clay barns by pressing soft slabs of clay into a carved bisque mold, and then cutting out and attaching the slabs. Each barn resembles the last, but with its own unique fingerprint. My printmaking is primarily focused on experimentation and overcoming personal creative obstacles. I take advantage of several different methods of printing for a single print work, as well as variations in color. These processes feel rooted in everydayness and commodity. Both have a rich history, born from traditional methods which have stood the test of time.