Fleshed

The University of Mississippi, Gallery 130

2017

The human form as a whole is intriguing, but it is the small details that captivate me. These range from wrinkles and joints to blisters and blemishes. In this body of work, I have abstracted the human form by experimenting with repetition, scale, and proportion to create strange new creatures. Volume, dimension, and texture work together to give these figures a more lifelike presence. I use the human body to explore the raw beauty of light, drawing, and gestural textures. While the imagery may appear abnormal, distorted, and off-putting to some, the gestural lines and textures in my sculptures reflect the fluidity present in my drawings. This fluidity is also present in the graceful movement of light that I admire in black and white photography.

My fascination with the body and its peculiar details stems from an interest in science fiction, more specifically in aliens and fictional cloning experiments gone wrong. Though engrossed in the constructed and alien-like life my human inspired forms take on, it is more important that my work explore the expressive abilities of the human form and celebrate the beauty of human diversity. To accentuate this diversity I have included cyanotypes, layered acrylic paint, and raw beeswax. This combination creates a distinct effect which guides the viewers through small details creating a collective experience of the human condition.

Austrian painter, Egon Schiele’s work helped to influence my use of expressive line. It is important that the lines and textures throughout my pieces have an emotive quality whether gestural or literal. The awkward positioning of Schiele’s subjects and uneven yet confident line quality gives his pieces an intriguing imperfection. Auguste Rodin’s figurative sculptures are inspirational to my work due to the textural contrast he uses between the focal point and the rest of the piece. I am also interested in the small details that are exaggerated to make the forms more lifelike. In my pieces, there exists some tension between the abnormal focus within the subject matter, the range of emotions, and the beauty found in line, texture, and simplicity of color. 

Many of my influences capture a certain grace and unconventionality that I strive for in my art. Ceramicist Paula Winokur captures the grace of light, simplicity, and balance in her porcelain sculptures. The simplicity of the mostly bare porcelain and subtle value scales create a beautiful balance around the carefully chosen detailed portions. The absence of bold colors in Winokur’s work contributes to the focus on light and shadow. The way light dances around the forms emphasizes the smaller details. Working with a simplified color palette, using only hints of peach acrylic paint, I accentuate the lines and crevices throughout my pieces. The effect of the carefully chosen placement of color aids in referencing the grace and occasional boldness of light. These influences come together to create a body of work that celebrates the intricacies of our visceral experience.