Sculpture, Drawing, Prints
Artist Statement: “In the toil to find the meaning of life, often times people take themselves too seriously. They skip over the exchange or moment which may hold the answer. The quest for meaning can be found in the smallest exchanges or realizations. I find these sometimes irrational, inconsequential events to be of utmost importance. My work is about the everyday events of life. The encyclopedia drawing series is fabricated on discarded scraps of paper and a found encyclopedia collection. These once priceless books of knowledge were discarded in one heap in a large dumpster outside my studio. I was drawn to these books because of the preciousness they once held for me as a child. I actually remember my parents purchasing a similar set of encyclopedias from a door-to door salesman as an investment in my future education. In our information-age, disposable society, this once treasured educational resource has now become obsolete.
Recently I have been thinking about the aging process myself. When will my knowledge become obsolete? How much time do I have to aquire a secure and permanent position in my field and community before I am outdated? This relentless race becomes more evident on a daily basis. Due to their source, many of the narratives presented in the work deal with education and the educational experience. The original intention of the encyclopedias seem like a timely connection to my experience as a new professor at a midwestern liberal arts university. Much of the work’s narratives reflect my daily routine as an art instructor and administrator. The fragmented planes and torn edges respond to a disconnect that sometimes happens between education and practicle application. Working on scrap paper displays a need to reclaim and control our disposable society.”