SCULPTURE GALLERY

My first explorations into visual art making were two dimensional. At VCU my first major was Painting and Printmaking. In my sophomore year, I discovered the metal smithing class. I was enchanted with the idea of working metal.... its permanence, strength, malleability.... its shininess.... it enthralled me in a way that no other medium had. I changed my major in order to ensure myself a place in the class.

It was through working metal... casting, shaping and forming, cutting, soldering... that I discovered something else. In the two dimensional world it had always been so difficult to come up with creative ideas for subject matter. The question, “What should I draw this time?”, was a continual struggle. The most common subjects for me were still lives, nude models, and portraits. When it came to original ideas, I was only ever interested in a single figure that would convey some activity or emotion. For me, the background was incidental... and annoyingly present. In the limited, predetermined space of paper or canvas the background is inevitable... it either contains something, or it’s blank... but it is always there, an emptiness nagging to be filled or somehow made to be as important as the figure.

After completing my first metal piece, Red Velvet Rope, I found freedom. It opened a floodgate for my ideas. In three dimensions, the surrounding space is limitless. A piece can include as much or as little background as it needs. It can be fully integrated with its surroundings, as in site specific work. Or, it can completely ignore its environment, standing on its own. Being interested in the figure, the latter is the end of the spectrum where I feel most comfortable. After moving through a series of ideas, I eventually realized that the natural background for my work is in the viewer’s hands.

Why Miniature?

Many aspects of the way I create sculptures are sub-conscious. The first step in creation is following up on an inexplicable desire to do something.... for example, to work metal, or work in three dimensions. I have no real definitive reason for being drawn to these things. I find reasons for them after I’ve pursued them. This is how it is with working in miniature. It was almost.... instinctive. In finding reasons for making small pieces, I have come up with this: Small things are intimate, private.... they are easy to carry and to keep close. They are simple to own and protect. Miniature work allows for taking the time to indulge in detail... about which I am nigh obsessive. Miniature objects can be toy-like, an invitation into a child-like perspective of pretend and fantasy. On the practical side, the material is easier to obtain and work, and storage is not a problem (my entire senior portfolio fit into a single shoe box).

I have tried my hand at larger pieces and found the work extremely distasteful. The materials become unwieldy and expensive.... and detailing a large piece takes an inordinate amount of time.... not to mention the practical difficulties of moving and storing large work. More importantly, large work demands broad attention... it is the opposite of intimate and private. And its existence, fantastical as it may be, is firmly grounded in a grown-up world. I believe, if I had the opportunity, I could create some beautiful figures on a large scale.... but then the piece would not convey so much of what my work is about.

I hope you enjoy perusing my sculpture portfolio.