methods of embrace

Whitespace Gallery Atlanta, GA | 2020

porcelain

methods of embrace is an exploration of enclosures as pathway or destination, whether soft or sharp, made of segments and intersections...all the while an avenue of transformation.

The first element of methods of embrace is a transition inward: based on the forms constructed by the male bower birds of Australia, a structure built of segmented porcelain branches offers the visitor a brief moment of holding as they pass through it.

As the viewer journeys on to the shed, they open the door and descend five stairs to the below-ground floor where their feet come to touch hundreds of cool porcelain pebbles. This subtle sensory experience is coupled with the auditory component of the gentle rubbing of pebbles underfoot.

The base shape of the forms that line the interior of the shed is a tessellation which interlocks all of the forms, inspired by the whorl pattern of the individual scales of a pinecone. Concepts of predictability and consistency alongside and giving way to evolution, change, and growth guided me as I sculpted and assembled these pieces.

Simultaneous motion and stillness; motion within stillness.

And here I ponder the question: if we surround ourselves with objects and materials that are fragile yet strong, that both reflect and absorb light, that embrace without holding…can we take on these qualities as well and carry them with us when we leave?