BFA, Studio Art (Jewelry and Metalsmithing) Certificate: Digital Fabrication and Design
Artist Statement
As a maker, I am always aware of the ability objects have to communicate through physicality, use, and visual language. In my current work, I am interested in the ways in which production, sculpture, and personal narrative are able to coalesce. In the piece entitled Keeping Count, I use the format of the Catholic Rosary to create a sculptural and tactile object, composed of fabricated copper and 3D printed and flocked prayer beads made to resemble oversized red and white blood cells. The Rosary is a symbol of mystery – of joy, of sorrow, and of hope. Each bead represents a prayer and functions to keep count, much like our blood cells, the count of which is critical to our bodies in every way. We rely on the unseen. In both ideas, quantity matters. The multiple is necessary. This piece is heavy, yet highly textural and tactile. It is meant to be held and touched, allowing the viewer to experience juxtaposing sensations of worry calmed by sensation and repetition, weight relieved by movement. My goal is to engage the viewer in contemplating the preciousness of their body and its inner functions through this physical and meditative action.
