Archaeology, as stated by The American Century Dictionary, is a “study of ancient cultures, esp. by the excavation and analysis of physical remains.” This definition creates a framework in which to view my work; however, a change must be made: The word ancient is substituted with post-industrial.

My work is a study of post-industrial culture by excavation and analysis of physical remains.

This analogy works for two reasons. First, the study of physical remains guides not only my own vision but also speaks to the viewer as a guide on how to approach the work, as a study implying questioning. Secondly, excavation refers to unearthing or mining. Implicit in all these words is the uncovering or revealing of layers. This analogy makes concrete the slippery path of art as a search and not an end. In my work, I steal the physical appearances of objects only to liquidate their features. This allows me to reshape, combine and alter their presences. These mutations refer to both the physical nature of the process of casting in my work and the non-linear way in which artistic visual decisions get made within the work.

I am mining and reforming objects found in my own life in order to investigate current culture. All of these selected objects, man-made or natural, existed within my daily life as a result of me simply trying to live it, but were selected for both aesthetic and symbolic reasons. It is my hope to tint my own vision and to see with historical clarity how objects I am interacting with play a role within my own world and how these man-made fossils I am creating may help others to do the same.