Artist’s Statement
I am a child of the cosmos who often sails into the starry vastness, pulling out forms and colors that embody the shapes and patterns of the galactic universe. My organic sculptures highlight the glory and intricacy of the natural world and represent inner growth and transformation.
Raised on Chicago’s North Shore in an insular, cookie-cutter subdivision, I never quite felt at home. I yearned for nature and the wild and wanted desperately to live like the kids in the movies who went fishing and walked across the creek by placing stepping stones in the moving water. Instead, digging in the mud in my backyard was my favorite pastime. I loved the feel of earth squishing through my fingers and often spent hours manipulating and forming imaginary cities and odd creatures. As I grew, so did my materials. My dresser drawers were filled with scraps of garbage I collected off the neighborhood streets. A rusted muffler would become a body for a figure. A milk carton would be transformed into a diorama. My hands became my tools. Like a shovel to a gardener, I unearthed my inner artist. I knew at a very young age that I could conjure up beautiful things and bring them into existence. When I was creating, I was present and content, I was at home.
My current sculptures inhabit and confront challenging themes such as memory and loss, darkness and light, intimacy and seduction. For inspiration, I look at forces of nature: topographical images of hurricanes and Hubble Space telescope images. Capturing emotional states or the energy of now, I use that impetus as fuel to drive my process. I begin many of my works by drawing gesturally with wire or steel rods – twisting, melting, and manipulating until the armature speaks to me. My three-dimensional artworks are formed by stretching an opaque fabric over a linear steel construction. My airy sculptures look like floating, celestial cloud formations or other-worldly figures that have come to life. Welded steel, glass, Eco Epoxy resin, sewn acrylic coated fabrics, fade-proof parachute fabric, and color-changing LED lights – these innovative, durable materials act as vehicles for expression in my suspended public sculptures.
Bio
I am a Chicago-born artist who has been creating since I was 5. Like many artists, I have worked in isolation and overcome many challenges, trusting my path and knowing that there is an audience out there who will resonate with my work. Consequently, receiving external recognition and feedback feels like a dream come true. I am consumed with joy.
My art has been exhibited in private and public places in Chicago including Harris Theater, The Lincoln Park Conservatory, Expo Chicago, SOFA, the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, and many galleries throughout the Midwest. I have pieces in several private and public collections including; The Lorraine Morton Civic Center in Evanston IL, The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, IL, and Lewis University (Science Building) in Romeoville IL. In addition, I am an Arts Educator who has been teaching art enrichment courses at Colleges, Local Schools, and Art Centers for the past 30 years.
