BA, Art (Studio Art- Jewelry and Metalsmithing)
Minor, Theatre
Artist Statement
Everything in nature shares a connection to something else. Plants, animals, and fungi all interact in specific ways to the benefit or detriment of each other. Humans function in a similar way. Through a mix of tangible bonds and intangible networks, we are able to build a wide variety of connections to one another. This series of wearable objects explores the different ways that those connections can take shape translating them into the form language of root and mycorrhizal fungi structures.
When members of the audience wear the pieces, they embody this process of connection. The first pair of pieces, Spark, explores the initial connection between two individuals and the intimacy of that moment. The structure consists of two collars made from varying sizes of brass tubing forming root structures extending towards their counterparts. Each collar holds one LED bulb and which lights up when the individuals make a physical connection. The second piece, Growth, continues the theme of connection through touch, depicting the distinct ways that individuals develop connections. The design of the piece builds on brass tube “roots” with silicone structures reminiscent of mycelia. Once the connection is established it starts to emanate light. The notable feature is the long silicone strings which the wearers are meant to use to tie themselves into and release themselves from the piece. The last piece in the series, Decay, creates connection at a distance. Two people, each wearing a silicone bracelet, must press a button on their wearable at the same time to light up a third object in the space, the mushroom.
