Concept: In late October 2023, I started learning glassblowing to better understand the material properties of glass in service of the start of an idea that merges textiles and glass. A “Cupform” is what I call a vessel created with the intent of approaching the classic aesthetic and function of a cup. It started with an initial 100 and the process still continues. Cupforms 000 - 100 Photo credit: Joshua Dunn

Concept: Topology, a branch of Mathematics, abstractly describes the nature of shapes. In Physics, the definition becomes tangible, as the properties of materials become observable, ultimately their topology dictates the interactions with one another. Sometimes when a material is grown in a lab, an additional layer unexpectedly grows; therefore, unintentionally changing the mathematical (and therefore physical) properties. In this series, layers of fabric are intentionally created from seams and folds. Select seams are reinforced by hand stitching on the ground. I then start painting. These seams and layers of canvas affect how the paint is visible on the surface. More hand stitching is added to the seams and then sometimes additional layers of paint are added. Time layers similarly in human experience, past experience informing the actions of the present self. We all exist in the present an amalgamation of memory, experience, and perception.

CONCEPT: Consider the process of learning and cultivating knowledge - the continual layering which occurs. Phronesis in Aristotelian terms is the form of wisdom that propels an individual to make and reflect upon choices. Often translated as “prudence,” this kind of understanding is learned through action and interaction. Starting firmly grounded in mirrored and rotational symmetries, the series becomes more improvisational through its development - similar to a jazz musician having a grounding in musical scales to build complex improvisations. The works in my Phronesis series incorporate the repetition and alteration of the Rhodes embroidery stitch and reverse appliqué. Worked with multiple plys of fine white silk threads, the square and rectangular forms gently emerge and recede from the viewer - like the play between innate and refined knowledge. Light is integral in emphasizing the textures of the laid threads and the rhythms emerging through the series.

My work builds upon itself, from earlier works/series to commissions to experimentations in this way there is a direct narrative of development through my work. The nature of the techniques in my work is typically fairly slow, offering me time to observe and ponder other directions to take it.