The visual elements of Islamic Art, Greek and Roman museum displays, and the quilts of Gee’s Bend have been an ongoing influence in my work. To a varying degree, the imagery of my work combines the patchwork aspects of quilt making, the fragmentary nature of Greek and Roman artifacts, and the fluid, interwoven nature of Islamic script.
The use of untraditional materials has always been a key element for me. Most recently, my paintings have a “built” quality. I would begin each piece by applying inexpensive cotton drop cloths to panels of wood. The porous quality and imperfections of the drop cloth is what draws me to this material. As each piece begins to evolve, cutting, patching, scraping, drawing and painting takes place. In many cases, much of the drop cloth becomes obscured, but the rough quality of the material is always evident. As I am working, I add panels of wood, therefore, changing the original shape of the piece. The piece becomes a puzzle that I’m trying to solve. In the most recent pieces, I have also incorporated spray paint. The spray paint adds a spontaneous quality, as well as, another dimension and “weight” to each piece. it helps create the illusion of shadows and depth, something that I strive to attain. Over the years, I have also worked with spackle, concrete, house paint, primer, and fiberglass window screen.
I approach my paintings in an intuitive way. This instills an energy in each piece, while making objects that have a three-dimensional, architectural feel. The final statement of each piece is realized when the interplay of lines and shapes create a tension between flatness and depth.
I also work intuitively when doing my wall sculptures. I have used cardboard tubes, wood, plaster, wood filler, and latex primer in these pieces. In the first few of my recent sculptures, I used wood lath that was taken from old plaster walls. When making these wall pieces, I tried to retain the character of the old wood throughout the process. In the latest sculptures, I have been primarily using plaster and wood. In these pieces, I make very simply-shaped objects while incorporating an element of drawing. I want these pieces to feel as if they are a fragment of history, that they are more than what you see. In these, I feel the object is complete when there is a simplicity and balance realized through shadows, line and depth.