Artist Statement

‘Transmissions’, refers to the idea of transference of force between mechanisms and machines and humans as well as the idea of sending a signal or a message from one place to another.

   The work in this show will consist of medium to large-scale s’graffitto drawings depicting a variety of industrial sites as well as drawings depicting humans interacting with a variety of man-made objects (machine related) and industrial structures

  Industrial illustration from the 50’s and 60’s has influenced much of my most recent series of drawings.  This type of illustration was often dramatic and portrayed a sanitized version of an industry. Industrious, handsome, strong figures were juxtaposed with shining machinery to illustrate a better, safer, cleaner world.

  In my work, I have created interactions between a variety of man-made objects, structures and human figures. I am fascinated with this interaction because it enables me to study aspects of the human condition through metaphor. From massive hydro installations to adornments made from nails and wire, I have explored how humans relate to these elements, which they have created. The interaction is often foreboding, at times playful.  Crowns made of nails or wire, appear simultaneously empowering, threatening, restrictive, and hazardous.  Machine parts echo the body structure; ribs, and socket- like connections emphasizing human fragility and vulnerability. The terrible beauty of corroding metal structures loom like archaic relics from a past civilization. The machine’s functions are often ambiguous yet it is clear that they are complex, oppressive, and overwhelming. The relationship between human and machine is always uncertain. Sometimes the figure has control, but more often it is the reverse. The figures are more distant and less involved with the more massive machinery. In a number of the newest drawings from this evolving series, there are no human figures depicted yet their presence is implied. Industrial sites stand on their own as monuments to power and control, evoking other institutional architecture such as churches and castles.

   Machines make repetitive tasks easier, and give us the illusion that we have control over our environment yet our creations often fail us. Humans can be harmed and controlled by the technology they have created. This ongoing body of work speaks about fragility, strength, empowerment and personal safety. It also examines perceptions of control and its absence.  The machines and structures are man made creations, yet it sometimes seems that they dominate us. We accept their usefulness, seduced by their capacity to provide us with a certain standard of living, yet at what cost?

   The constantly evolving technique I use for my drawings (s’grafitto) is one I arrived at through experimentation. This is an important aspect of my work. The work is produced by painting a layer of gouache paint on top of a thin layer of wax. The paint is then manipulated by wiping and scratching it away from the wax. The rich patina of the wax surface and the organic background achieved by wiping away the gouache and polishing the wax are remarkably different from the sharp lines and details of the man made structures; this juxtaposition is a metaphor for the contrast between man as part of nature and humans as being intricately entwined with the technology that they have created.

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