Department of Art
A wheel is a powerful symbol with innumerable meanings and applications. It might mean innovation, invention, technology, and forward momentum. It could mean transportation, or the chance of fortune. A cycle may refer to two wheels put one in front of the other, or to a series of regularly repeated events. The circle of life, a circle of friends, an electrical circuit. These connections guide our lives and inform the ways we interpret our environment. It is the wheels we choose to become a part of, that transport us from place to place, and how we choose to ride those cycles that shapes us into who we are.
Wheels of Life draws attention to digital and technological developments and how these tools help bring the world closer together. The works utilize bright colors and interesting textures, depicting weather cycles and motorcycles and all else in between. Motion, energy, and interactivity are all represented, with attention to the passage of time. The wide range of materials and processes used throughout the show reflect my passion for exploration and experimentation. Some of the best projects for me are the ones that combine multiple sensory stimuli, such as visuals, textural elements, and even auditory components. The sculptures displayed are meant to be touched, gently.
For me, communication has always come most easily in the form of visual representation, my aim being to reproduce my thoughts and experiences into images and objects that may inspire similar ideas and experiences in others. The works displayed invite interactivity, some requiring an injection of human energy to reach their full potential. By flipping through the artist books, gently turning the matrix tree, or wearing the mask head, the viewer contributes to the life and animation of these objects.
By creating a sense of the belonging of technology as part of the natural human experience, we can begin to shorten the gap between the technology that we use in our daily lives, and the works of art that we create as representative of our experiences.
I grew up in the wonderful world of interior Alaska, and choose to continue to live here and use it's profound natural beauty as inspiration for my work. The unique balance of it's rural seclusion juxtaposed with human advancement and technology is something I find especially fascinating. I enjoy combining elements of nature and wildlife with ‘man-made objects and structures to represent the evolution and belonging of technology as an extension of the natural world.
I am a BFA graduate from the Â鶹¹ÙÍø Fairbanks with concentrations in digital art, animation, printmaking, and metalsmithing.
