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I have studied and taught extensively throughout Mexico and I am fascinated by adobe buildings in various stages of transformation; with their collaged layers of mortar and paint, political posters and graffiti. I am also drawn to Mayan, Zapotec and Aztec ruins, to the many openings, passages and stairways that mark the transition from outside to inside, from light to dark, from present to past. The arch shape, that is ubiquitous in contemporary and Pre-Columbia architecture, continues to be an influence on my work. Edges are also of importance. They represent the transitions, the place where object ends and the space around begins, the place between light and shadow, the familiar and the unknown. In some of my pieces, parts of the figure and the arch are extending beyond the edge of the frame. I am currently developing a body of terra cotta, figurative, bas-relief, wall hangings. I hand build these directly from the model, utilizing the immediacy and fluidity of the soft clay in an attempt to express the subtle nuances of the human form and spirit. Coloured slips, stains and metal powders are combined with the wet clay and together they are transformed through the kiln to complete the synthesis of form and surface. This combination of techniques assists in the development of depth and subtlety in the colour of the images. In recent and current work I am beginning to explore the figure within a context. For example, I am establishing a relationship between the arch shaped portal and the physical orientation of the figure. In many works the human is looking out through an arch shaped window or door. Perhaps, a story is suggested by this connection and it is this story that helps give power and meaning to the work. Education |
ARTIST'S STATEMENT 