The Art Stripped Bare, Even
The creative process
Old and contemporary materials are recombined, giving the elements a new context and new meanings. My pieces are interactive in the original sense; you must open doors or drawers to explore them. Like hypertext, levels lead to levels, and the order of discovery is immaterial.
Craftsmanship is integral to my artistic philosophy. With medieval reliquaries, the skilled craftsmanship honored both the materials and what was contained within. The same with my pieces. I delight in the challenge of combining very disparate materials to express each Machine's selected theme. I do not subscribe to the hot-glue-gun school of construction.
Words, wordplay, and double meanings are as much a part of each Machine as the structure itself. The title (always written on or nailed to the piece) is intended as an entry point, a suggestion of one possible direction. It is then up to each viewer to actively participate in a process of free association and personal memory as they view the Machine. Reminiscent of Duchamp, I have a body of written notes and comments related to, but independent of, each sculpture.
