Artist Statement
A glass tank is constructed, often integrating drilled holes and blown glass or found-object intrusions. It is filled to a predetermined level with a mixture of ‘mother culture’ and wine or sake, then tilted until the surface level takes on a geometric shape, intersecting with monofilament rings attached inside the glass. “The mother” or acetobacter begins to form, accelerating fermentation and converting wine into vinegar. A translucent skin is cast upon the armatures, making a record of the surface level, and eventually becomes a thick polygonal plane. Once the membrane reaches a desired thickness, the tank is then filled with more wine, tilted to the next predetermined level and left to grow a new ‘mother.’ When all of the layers are finished growing, the tank is carefully flushed and filled with water and white vinegar, leaving the biological constructions clearly visible. Inside the finished works, submerged microbes lie torpid and alive. For me, the art object inherently evokes a psychic connection. I imagine the sculptures, grounded and serene, presenting their geometries. They are strong enough to stand exposed, mirroring an aspect of the human experience. I think about the inside of the body which is in many ways just as mysterious as outer space. A common cliche, “beauty is on the inside” would always make me think, “what's it like there, on the inside.” I expect that it would contain a fundamental mathematical perfection that exists in all of us. Organic chemistry shows us that this is in fact true; on the molecular level and through advances in biotechnology, we can now see the genetic codes of microbes, with us by the multitudes, inside and out. Fluctuating between physical/architectural space and imagined supernatural space, I regard the sculpture as organic (or living) architecture. While testing the physical boundaries of materials and containment, the works contain worlds and at the same time, are immortal bodies. In recent works there is a less rigid, more dynamic presence where “the mother” is free floating, as compared to earlier work, where skins are fully sutured in place. Also new is the use of wax which is poured on water, similarly casting onto monofilament rings and setting. It's a collaboration where I meticulously set parameters for substances to behave naturally in an event that I no longer have control over. The sculptures literally grow into themselves. Pedestals behave like clothing that adorns while pointing to the historical significance of thrones that elevate and display. Ancient examples support mortal and immortal greatness. A tank of bacterial overgrowth and a wax-on-water event is the displayed object of admiration. This causes the viewer to question their idea of beauty. Bacterial slabs are sanguine freak flags waving and flaunting.
