My ceramic sculptures reflect upon a variety of issues with a thoughtful, yet humorous and ironic tone. I am inspired by the potential of everyday common objects. I reproduce these objects primarily through slipcasting, and illustrate the surfaces primarily with hand-painted imagery. My narratives explore topics ranging from fairytales, urban mythologies, consumer culture, societal expectations, etiquette, and coming-of-age issues. Stylistically, much of my imagery is pulled from somewhat “dated” sources that represent an idealized time in society and advertising. Beneath the shiny veneer of these relics hides a complex and sometimes contradicting truth of what things seem to appear as upon first glance.
Exploring issues focusing on women is important to me for many reasons. Personally, this study resonates with a particular history of my changing perception of me and my role in this lifetime. However, my investigations speak to a greater issue of how women in general perceive themselves and are seen in society, historically and today. I see my exploration of these issues addressing self perception and expectations reaching beyond just purely feminist concerns. It’s a question of how all people strive to attain impossible ideals based on what others define we should be.
So one may ask “Why clay? Why not just draw these images on paper, or on the actual objects?” My work is a form of trompe l’oeil with a twist. In using clay to reinvent everyday objects, I play with the notion that things are not what they initially seem to be. The object being referenced remains recognizable while the illustrations are imperative in creating the narratives that create various dialogues and statements within and about the physical object.
