Artist Statement
This body of work is a collection of interactive pieces focusing on vessels, texture and play. The objects are meant to gauge audience response and evoke a way of measuring interaction with the materials within a gallery space. This work strips metal of its industrial connotations in favor of organic and colorful shapes inspired by curves and crevices of the human body. Using vibrant colors and purposefully ambiguous imagery a sense of playfulness and curiosity is encouraged. Through a prismacolor finish the objects are given a softer surface texture. The work encourages audience interaction to explore and handle the vessels’ textures and weight. As the audience continues to engage with the sensitive finish of the sandblasted vessels, the vibrant colors will begin to dull even through the sealant. By incorporating both handheld and wall-mounted pieces, a hierarchy of objects is created. Wall mounts are used to showcase the idea of fine art, untouchable and distant, while the handhelds are grounded and readily explored. The violation of social conventions associated within a gallery setting is elevated by the intimacy of exploring the interior spaces of the vessels.
