METAL SCULPTURE STATEMENT

Steel is a long term love, sculpturally speaking, along with the process of welding. Composed of iron and compounded with other elements, steel is of the earth, and born of fire. It is full of contradictions, so strong, yet it can rust away over time and heat reduces it to a puddle. It is heavy and solid but can be delicate and lacy. It likes to be dressed in color, painted or sprayed on but is attractive naked as well. In working with steel, I can be measured and precise, with geometry as the overarching concern, or intuitive and spontaneous, having fun. Many of the geometric forms I have created from curved triangles cut from sheet metal morph into wave shapes. Waves have been a powerful force with me since childhood visits to the beach, when I reveled in the ocean rhythms and power, both calming and exhilarating.
 
It is also exciting to work with found metal objects -- the serendipity of finding and assembling disparate pieces of pre-used industrial or common household things results in an “aha” moment when disparate pieces of detritus are placed together to create a new entity. The transformation of these materials is like a rebirth, the phoenix from the ashes. Many of the sculptures which emerge are in the form of masks, and many are whimsical, revealing joy in the process.