REMIND ME OF THE MAN. What man? THE MAN WITH THE POWER. What power? THE POWER OF HOODOO. Who do? YOU DO. Do what? REMIND ME OF THE MAN.
My recent body of work (spring 2011) began with the question, “As an artist, why am I attracted to certain materials?”
I listed the materials that I tended to favor and decided to work with them exclusively until I could understand my pattern of choice. This is the original list: Glass, clay/chalk/plaster, grasses, yarn, brass, burlap, cotton, bone/skin, iron/rust, bricks, dirt, hooks, nails, afghans, stone.
Each of these elements holds a certain pull for me. I have come to understand that these materials are part of my personal mythology, or beliefs about life that make up one’s view of the world .I see each of them as a particular note or symbol in my sculpture. They are the materials that I feel activate, or give life to my work. It also became obvious that as a group, these materials could also be tied to many southern folk beliefs and traditions.
During these examinations, I realized that I had been using aspects of southern ritual and superstition in my work since my foundation as an artist. With this idea of personal mythology in mind, I decided that the work should explore those themes in order to better understand why they reoccurred in my compositions. My research led to further interest in belief, ritual and superstition.
I am fascinated by the human need for control and the lengths we will go to satisfy that need. Ritual and superstition can be comforting but if one is not careful, they can dominate your every action.
These works comment on the power of belief and the language of ritual. Every object is a potential tool and every gesture has a meaning. The pieces reference folk magic of the southeastern United States, the Caribbean, and Africa. Each sculpture has been an exploration of my inner mythology and although they are personal interpretation, I feel they also speak to archetype and the universal need for control…even if it is often an illusion.
My recent body of work (spring 2011) began with the question, “As an artist, why am I attracted to certain materials?”
I listed the materials that I tended to favor and decided to work with them exclusively until I could understand my pattern of choice. This is the original list: Glass, clay/chalk/plaster, grasses, yarn, brass, burlap, cotton, bone/skin, iron/rust, bricks, dirt, hooks, nails, afghans, stone.
Each of these elements holds a certain pull for me. I have come to understand that these materials are part of my personal mythology, or beliefs about life that make up one’s view of the world .I see each of them as a particular note or symbol in my sculpture. They are the materials that I feel activate, or give life to my work. It also became obvious that as a group, these materials could also be tied to many southern folk beliefs and traditions.
During these examinations, I realized that I had been using aspects of southern ritual and superstition in my work since my foundation as an artist. With this idea of personal mythology in mind, I decided that the work should explore those themes in order to better understand why they reoccurred in my compositions. My research led to further interest in belief, ritual and superstition.
I am fascinated by the human need for control and the lengths we will go to satisfy that need. Ritual and superstition can be comforting but if one is not careful, they can dominate your every action.
These works comment on the power of belief and the language of ritual. Every object is a potential tool and every gesture has a meaning. The pieces reference folk magic of the southeastern United States, the Caribbean, and Africa. Each sculpture has been an exploration of my inner mythology and although they are personal interpretation, I feel they also speak to archetype and the universal need for control…even if it is often an illusion.
