ART

My work is about capturing the essence of used, repaired, and worn-out tools and materials. Using clay and the trompe l’oiel technique, I hypothetically “freeze” the material in time and preserve the character that it has accumulated from years of use, abuse, and repair. I often derive my ideas and subject matter from old farms, where there is an abundance of character-infused tools, wood, metal, and other objects. These farm tools get used over and over, repaired countless times; each knick or break in the tool or material has a story to tell. The notion that everything is used until its last leg is fascinating, and shows how inventiveness can come out of necessity to solve or fix a problem. It’s the small details of ingenuity, the creativeness and resourcefulness used, that I try to capture in my work. The tools and materials found at farms are also meaningful in a sense that, being from the Midwest, I have memories of going to the family farm, finding these dilapidated tools whose original purpose is long forgotten, and thinking of ways to encapsulate their presence in a modern setting. Most recently functionality has added another aspect into the work, focusing on the ideas of consumption. Using symbols of energy, fuel, and transportation, I try to bring these much used objects into our modern world where they are relevant to the contemporary issues we face today. These objects create a powerful juxtaposition between our past carelessness, waste of resources and fossil fuels, and our present fixation on recycling and being “green.”

EDUCATION
University of Kansas, MFA Candidate, Fall 2012
University of Iowa, BFA Studio Arts, Emphasis in Ceramics, 2012

EXHIBITIONS
2012
Vitrified, Exhibition for Spring 2012 Undergraduate Workshop course at University of Iowa
Big Fish, Small Pot V International Exhibition. Honorable Mention
UIMA's First Friday. Featured Artist for the University of Iowa, Museum of Art's First Friday event
Open Your Eyes and Look Within. Solo Exhibition highlighting a specific facet of research to graduate with honors.
By Any Means Necessary. Solo Exhibition for BFA degree in Studio Arts
2011
Mud Babies. Exhibition of work of the current BFA's at the University of Iowa
S&AM Smithing and Art Materials Competition. 2nd Place
2006
Norwalk High School Best Senior in Art, 3-D. Awarded Honor of Best Senior in 3-D Art. 2nd Place Ceramics

GRANTS/SCHOLARSHIPS
2011-2012
University of Iowa Tuition Scholarship
Iowa Center for the Arts Scholarship

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Fall 2012
Teaching Assistant, University of Kansas, Lawrence