Statements
I make anthropomorphic trees that resemble people; they are The paintings are created with acrylic on linen; the drawings
Metamorphoses: The World Tree Series: Icons
Inspired by the metaphors of transformation in Roman poet Ovid's work, The Metamorphoses, my new group of drawings and paintings, The World Tree Series, is suffused with feelings of revelation and regeneration evoked by anthropomorphic trees I have discovered during my travels. I have been drawing trees for ten years, while also working from the live model. Gradually the human physique and tree limbs merged in my psyche, fusing human and tree anatomy into deconstructed tree forms, disclosing an imaginative perception of them as hallowed, hollowed out, haunted and inhabited. I explore the essence of the tree as an “idea,” extending the meaning of “tree” in a unique new expression that transforms myimages into Icons. The trees become a refuge and a sanctuary, reconfiguring to reveal dark monarchs, monsters, entwined figures, animals, body parts and facial features. The unity of all life is accentuated as the varied personas within us and in our networks of relationships are revealed to correspond to mysterious affinities in the tree configurations. Transformation in nature mirrors the perpetual changes human beings undergo through their multiple roles and masks. By realizing that nature's constant state of flux reflects the variability in human existence, we can more readily accept our insecurity and reconcile ourselves to life's true changing character.
Inspired by the strength and meaning of Egyptian idols and artifacts,I determined to evoke a glimmer of the essence of ancient devotion by employing gold paint to suggest the inherent value and significance of all things, whether they are manufactured or natural. The paint suggests the equivalent of sunlight by illuminating objects with a golden glow. Since the gold standard is the epitome of recognized worth, the message is that all material things have innate value. Cast-offs and junk left for trash pick-up are often intriguing. Gridded scraps of plastic that were formerly used to organize kitchen cabinets add a ready-made structure to the sculptures. Nothing can be truly discarded: it can only be put in another context or environment. Louise Nevelson was also attracted to piles of junk left on the streets. I use objects from the street whose forms attract me, as well as the natural materials that can be gathered easily, like leaves, pinecones, sticks and stones. I found enormous pinecones on the ground in Sequoia National Park. Each leaf in my ”pile” has been picked from a tree and hand-painted. Natural objects combined with manufactured items, generate energy that germinates fresh meaning in unexpected ways. Several of the quasi-devotional sculptures can be viewed as shrines to venerate nature. I don’t carve objects; I paint them, sew them with thin wire, and construct forms with clearly delineated shapes. The lightweight wire mesh adds transparency, allowing the fragments inside the artworks to be viewed. By operating intuitively with an energetic focus, I sometimes create forms that border on the chaotic. Ultimately, the works are organic rather than systematically structured.
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