The basis of my assemblage art is the power of inanimate objects to tell a story based on their juxtaposition. As I become immersed in the creative process, the objects begin to “tell me where they want to go” while I tap into my own subconscious or reflect on the histories of others. During the process of arrangement, these found objects begin to create a language of their own. They begin to convey an idea, suggest an emotion, or tell a story.
The pieces may feel unsettling, as they ask the observer to reflect upon difficult subjects of the human experience: birth and death; mental illness; rites of passage and liminal spaces; the definition of home, place and belonging; social and environmental issues; and the essence of change. My objective is that these totemistic objects arranged in shrine-like boxes will invoke reactions and free-associations within the viewer by referring to archetypes, puns, and homilies; the sacred, the profane, and the mundane.
Originally possessing a degree in design from Kent State University, I have come back to making art as part of my journey through widowhood and resolving trauma from working in healthcare.