My studio practice is deeply influenced by the geologic forces which shape the earth. Through research and making, I hope to pursue a deeper understanding of these processes and how they function as a means of recording, eroding, and inevitably rewriting the planet’s history.
I translate these concepts into my work by studying and using foraged clays, stones, fossils, and glacial debris collected throughout Minnesota. Used within a multidisciplinary approach, these resources act as tools for showcasing the geologic and climatological events that have shaped the landscapes around me.
Researching the diversity of the state’s geological past has inspired an approach to making that both embraces and challenges conventional ceramic traditions. In an effort to explore various materials along a spectrum of art-forms, I produce work in vessel, sculpture, installation, and two-dimensional formats. Each body of work conveys a unique dialect within the larger languages of geology, craft, and contemporary art. I view each series as a specific opportunity to study the many relationships and conflicts between artistic intent, making traditions, and the intrinsic properties of natural materials.
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Although all materials are sustainably collected with the permission of land owners, I recognize that my practice takes place on territory stolen from Minnesota’s Indigenous peoples. I respectfully acknowledge the Dakota and Anishinaabe peoples as the rightful owners and original stewards of the land on which I work.
