Studio work
Caudal Luring: I THOUGHT THIS TIME WOULD BE DIFFERENT
2023
Ceramic
Caudal luring refers to a method of aggressive mimicry used by predators to attract prey. This piece represents how it feels to be tricked by someone who is hiding their true intent. To be lured in by something that looks so amazing, that you do not even feel yourself being eaten alive.
Can things be different
2022
Ceramic
Women are often thought as of providers; always looking out for others, even at the cost of their own happiness. This piece is a more visceral take on this view. A woman’s head has been severed and left to rot, yet even in death she provides for the life around her. A never ending service to those around us.
Liquid courage: My mother in memory
2024
Found objects, alcohol bottle caps, wire
The line between a casual drinker and an alcoholic is very thin. A difficult balance, alcohol can not only affect your life, but the lives of those around you as well. I come from a line of alcoholics, meaning I have to walk carefully on that thin line. Every offer of a shot, every sip of beer, makes me think of my mother, who I have not seen since I was 9. When I think of her, I do not think of her red hair, her blue eyes, or her dimple that is on the same cheek as mines. I think of being in the backseat as she drove drunk, me and my brother giggling thinking it was all a fun game. This piece represents my fading memory of my mother, a collection of all the alcohol she drank throughout my childhood. I think of her not as my mother, but as a woman who lost her children due to the mistakes she made.
The Mollusk
2024
Welded Scrap Metal
The band Ween was created in 1984, started by Mickey Melchiondo and Aaron Freeman, also known by their music names Dean and Gene Ween. Ween is categorized as an alternative rock band, however they take inspiration from many different genres of music, including funk, gospel, country, heavy metal, punk, and more. Their music has been described as, “lo-fi, drugged-out, and absurdist” by fans. The art I created is based on Ween’s 1997 album The Mollusk, which follows a nautical theme featuring songs about pirates, the ocean, and different sea creatures.
For this project, we were asked to use art, through welding or brazing, to pay homage to a piece of art we enjoyed. I was inspired by the cover art from the album to create a welding project. I felt that the organic shapes, textures, and the many components of the creature would be a fun challenge for me to attempt on my first welding project. I also felt that the messiness of welding (at least my welding) and the interesting colors and marks caused by the weld would help to contribute to creating the interesting textures in the album cover.
