About

Syracuse University B.A.
Wesleyan University M.A.L.S.-Arts

Artist’s Statement

“Structured Chaos” in a way feels like the return to my architectural drawing, presentation and model-building background, blended with my love for the random and abstract. Another element that has become very important to me is the history of the ephemera I use:  items from the past that were intended to be short-lived and discarded, but have become fascinating and beautiful. I don’t use reproductions, and some of the items are now valuable as well. I also find so much whimsy, nostalgia and wonder in the very old materials, and love changing their meanings through juxtaposition in a piece. I’m not sure why I love microfiche and 16mm film so much, but I think it is the combination of the translucence with the linear form. I would have a hard time creating a collage without using filmstrips. I’ve done a few without View-Master slides, and that was a push. Oh and please don’t ask me to go without vintage tins. Or watch parts.

Not much is meaningless in my work, and balance and form are critical. I love structuring and playing with the menagerie of the collage medium, and the hardest part often is deciding how to stop work on a piece (I usually simplify from the original multi-layered design). That is where I try to find a balance between the meaningful and deliberate detail when viewing up-close, with the visual impact when taking a few steps back.

I often work with my own concepts, but now my focus is commissioned pieces, centered on an object or theme that is important to a person.  The custom collages usually include cherished items that are often tucked away out of every day view. Some of these pieces focus less on a certain era, such as my usual early to mid 1900s, and more on the characteristics and feelings surrounding the treasured item.