Art is my act of quiet resistance. It is my way of trying to make the world a better place. I think there is enormous power in making things, by hand, that will last forever, that will be passed down in families through generations. We live in a world of built-in-obsolescence and insane consumerism, where we are just gobbling up the planet making disposable junk. It is really important to me to preserve traditions and history thru craft, to produce things that are of the moment and yet still timeless, and to respect where our materials come from. Much of what I use is recycled, I am a collector of other people's junk. I find things in scrap yards and garbage piles, hoping to give them new life. I also throw out almost nothing, even the tiniest bits I try to put back into new projects.
I am truly fascinated by all the materials that I use. My drawers full of old metal machine parts is like being in a candy store. Each piece is like art, I am fascinated by the forms, and also the surface, especially aluminum. I almost hoard wood, truly struggling trying to decide which piece I will use. Each piece of wood I have is truly unique - there will never be a single other exactly like it. The subtle tones and depth in the grain are intoxicating. And then there is glass... I find glass to be a truly magical medium. I instantly fell in love with the colours and unlimited play of patterns in this not really solid material. I love how the glass flows and changes as it is heated, and love experimenting with new techniques. But for me glass is also an amazing exercise in letting go - letting go of expectations, letting go of my attachment to the physical. It is unpredictable and fragile - kind of like life - so it teaches me lessons I need to learn elsewhere, and gives me skills I can apply in completely different ways.
I get great joy in creating something from nothing. But I also truly believe that art makes peoples' lives richer. Art of all kinds takes us out of our everyday reality, and connects us with something bigger. It crosses all borders - it has no color, no religion, no gender. I struggle greatly with my identity as an artist, the world feels like such a mess and I often feel powerless to help. So I can only hope to make things that add meaning to someone's life, that they treasure for some intangible reason, because of how it makes them feel. My wish is that art can unite people, and that in some small way my art can make a difference in the world.
