Artist Statement
Decadence is a significant influence in my work, not only as a state of extravagance but also as a process of decline and decay. My interest in decadence stems from the decline of a generational family farm that centered around onion growing and the family’s sordid and unspoken history. Through my work I strive for a continuum to that lost heritage by recreating its iconic images such as onions, barrels, barns, and other bucolic souvenirs of that life. In creating functional objects I am more concerned with the meaning of function in terms of its place in a societal hierarchy than in actual use. High service ware, ritual objects or items with specialized function are removed from mundane and placed in a realm of opulence to be a physical manifestation of social and economic status. The self-indulgent nature of the baroque embellishments and structure transform the meaning of the rural iconic images of my heritage into something both celebratory and revealing of the veiled decadence that lies within my family tree. Creating these objects from earthenware allows a dialogue between the high-class implications of the ornate elements with the preconceived notions of low fire clay. Earthenware has historically been classified as an unrefined, low class material, which augments the rural imagery and forms of my family and youth. Creating a value ambiguity of material, form and function allows me to create objects where information is not linear but a multifaceted-layered experience. What I produce is my perception and translation of a family history and heritage that I have been removed from.