Artist Statement
My work is an evolving series of miniature constructions that explore how the subconscious makes itself known. I create small, intimate spaces that invite viewers into deeper contemplation. The house is my central metaphor for the subconscious, representing the inner life and what remains hidden. Basements, closets, bathrooms, bedrooms, suitcases, books, doors, drawers, and cupboards become spaces and containers for memory, secrecy, and transformation.
I am most interested in the psychological processes embedded in the concept of transformation. Much of my work points either to the moment of awareness or to the period of reflection and becoming that follows. Moving from awareness to transformation often requires a shift in perception. I begin building in three-dimensions from the inside out. My challenge is to recognize and capture the space between awareness and transformation, where that shift begins. Sometimes transformation seems to happen in the blink of an eye; other times, it requires reflection and the hard work of change.
These constructed interiors become visual thresholds, places where what is concealed can move toward recognition.
One way of glimpsing the subconscious and visualizing the inner workings of transformation is through the hidden language of dreams. By remembering and recording dreams over the years, I have made personal discoveries, deepened my appreciation of metaphor, and developed an understanding of the wisdom dreams often reveal. Dreams and art share a symbolic language: both allow images, associations, and hidden material to surface, and both can lead toward transformation.
As subconscious material rises into awareness, we begin to see ourselves in a different light. The act of remembering changes our relationship to the past, allowing the present and future to change as well. We are always in the process of being transformed.