Creatures of the Mud

My clusters of objects are about relationships. I view them as a muddle of creatures engaging with their environment. Each organism serves a role as they give and take from their habitat. Together they create a complex system of interdependent relationships where the individual and the collective depend upon one another. Each piece can stand alone, but they become visually activated when placed in a group.

While engaging with the natural world, discoveries are made that stimulate philosophical notions of what it means to be alive and evolve. The act of making mirrors this in effect and discoveries are made by interacting with the material. I hope my viewers gain a sense of their place within this web of life that is less hierarchical and more symbiotic or interdependent.

I seek to parallel the evolution of my craft with biological evolution as both are engaged in a constant state of becoming. Choices are made by giving agency to the clay and letting its physical characteristics influence the resulting shape. It is an ongoing, evolutionary process. In this paper, I seek to define how biological evolution and unfolding of my studio process are profoundly similar.