Over the years, my work has developed combining the elements and principles
of design with the truth and simplicity of Zen thought. |
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The Naked Parasol series began in 2000 and was born out of my long term
fascination with Japanese culture and asthetics. I have collected bamboo
and paper parasols for many years and as I watched them age and decompose,
I tried repairing them with glue and paper until one day, feeling that
a particular parasol was beyond repair, I cut off all the paper, very
delicately with a razor blade. The bamboo frame remained. I was struck
by the intricate beauty of the skeleton and felt it to be visually more
powerful than its original form. It was also eminently more vulnerable. |
The series, Empty Stones, began in 1995, was
constructed from wire and steel rod. Rocks are ancient, solid and accessible.
They are grounded, bound with the earth and have a rounded, bottom-heavy
form, a female, "earth-mother" shape and feel. My stones are hollow inside.
Being empty suggests free, open to possibilities, new beginnings, being
there in present time. The stones possess a quiet, contemplative nature.
My work is about centering and focusing my thoughts. |

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The Fiberworks series began in 1992, was
constructed from natural fiber and rock. My aim was to capture a "Zen-like"
simplicity of pure form with the freshness of earthy textures. The meticulously
wrapped, natural fiber works reflected the traditional packaging of old
Japan and the spirit of the Zen rock gardens that have been an insp[iration
in my work for many years. The pieces related to growth, a becoming,
a potential for life. |
The Fiber and Bone series began in 1999,
is an earthy blending of materials ranging from weathered animal bone
and other organic matter to rusty chain and discarded pottery fragments.
The work echoes an archaic time of ceremonial ritual and mythic legend
with a primitive tribal feeling of kinship with nature and belief in
magic. I use found objects that attract my interest. They may come from
the ground, a scrap pile, a friend or my dinner plate. My aim is to unify
the materials giving them a new life that supplies the viewer with pleasure,
curiosity and a bit of mystery. |

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The Boxed Works were created from 1973 to
1992. The pieces consisted of wood boxes varying in size from three inches
to twelve feet square containing soft, rounded sensual forms made from
a variety of materials from resin to organic matter. I worked with pure
forms accentuating space, texture, light, color and movement. I used
repetition to add visual rhythm and the effect achieved was an organic
composition that suggested a strange secret life was contained within
the walls of the box. |
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