As the recipient of the 2017 Wendy Jane Bantam Graduate Exhibition Award selected by the art faculty from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, this exhibit was located at the Outlook Project Gallery at Turbine Flats in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Months
“What do you have in your life?” -Poet Naomi Shihab Nye’s response when asked why she writes about common things.
Like Nye, I am interested in the beauty within the rituals of everyday life. Each studio day I begin by making a single drawing based on a theme. One theme seen in this show is the lifespan of a pencil. In What is the potential of a 2B Pencil?, each drawing began with sharp lead and ended when the lead ran out and wood touched paper. This was repeated with the same pencil until it was no more.
The drawings generated from this daily practice become a departure point for larger drawings and images I make into prints (etchings, lithographs, and woodcuts). During this practice and while working on the more distilled pieces, I sharpen and hone my materials on a single piece of paper left on my desk for a month at a time. This paper collects test marks, thoughts and evidence of the art making process. Together they become a depiction of time.
I want to make art that is worthwhile, that shares something important. This desire often overwhelms and hinders me from starting projects. I find myself questioning the purpose of art altogether. Yet once I relinquish control into action—just simply start and keep going—the unforeseen meaning eventually presents itself. As the parts become a whole, Months seeks to depict the significance of small efforts accumulated over time.
Months
“What do you have in your life?” -Poet Naomi Shihab Nye’s response when asked why she writes about common things.
Like Nye, I am interested in the beauty within the rituals of everyday life. Each studio day I begin by making a single drawing based on a theme. One theme seen in this show is the lifespan of a pencil. In What is the potential of a 2B Pencil?, each drawing began with sharp lead and ended when the lead ran out and wood touched paper. This was repeated with the same pencil until it was no more.
The drawings generated from this daily practice become a departure point for larger drawings and images I make into prints (etchings, lithographs, and woodcuts). During this practice and while working on the more distilled pieces, I sharpen and hone my materials on a single piece of paper left on my desk for a month at a time. This paper collects test marks, thoughts and evidence of the art making process. Together they become a depiction of time.
I want to make art that is worthwhile, that shares something important. This desire often overwhelms and hinders me from starting projects. I find myself questioning the purpose of art altogether. Yet once I relinquish control into action—just simply start and keep going—the unforeseen meaning eventually presents itself. As the parts become a whole, Months seeks to depict the significance of small efforts accumulated over time.