Each day I live, meaning emerges. The same is true when I create art. I come across objects that seem significant somehow, yet often their meaning is not readily apparent. I welcome this and give myself the freedom to play as I look for ways to transform the “known” object into the unknown. It becomes a search for the unexpected as well as what delights or surprises. I love the process of discovery, of ending up with a thing I recognize from the past yet through my efforts becomes something “other.”
I had a mother who saved things, especially things that had been dearly loved and handled a lot. Those “things” had a softness to them, a well-worn patina, a bit like the Velveteen Rabbit. As a child these things seemed somehow valuable — so when I began making art those were the sorts of objects that attracted me. I rescue many from trash piles or flea markets and lately friends clearing their homes have donated some. I bring these things home and watch how they communicate with other old things in my studio. Sometimes they laugh at each other, sometimes they scream. But, ultimately, in some definitive yet inexplicable way, some of these particular old things request to be joined together. So I grant their request. Mostly it’s a labor of love.
My work is about connection, a desire to bring together things that are not usually seen together, to bring unity to diversity, to say that nothing in this life is impossible. Old objects speak about a world that comes alive through memory, a world we can choose to reenter. I hope to give the viewer access to that world through the transformative power of imagination.
Tough Duck once had some tough luck – he’s made from old stuff nobody wanted. But now he’s a fabulous work of art – so late in life, he’s finally happy!
