Artist Statement

My art practice is alchemic – a harmonious blend of ideas, materials, and processes that give rise to new expressions and knowledge through the creation of art objects. Blown glass serves as my vessel, allowing me to explore my creativity and curiosity in intuitive ways.

My passion lies in creating Plasma Light Sculptures (Plasma), an art form that combines the technical and artistic aspects of glassblowing with the scientific application of electrified inert gases, similar to neon signs. Through this process, I achieve a captivating glow that establishes a profound connection between the viewer and the art. The luminous display invites interaction, responding to the viewer’s proximity and touch, allowing for a playful engagement with the artwork.

In this exploration, I have delved into finding a delicate balance between the form and surface of the vessel and the expressions of light produced within.

My curiosity and commitment to creating sculptural plasma forms drive me to experiment with the interactivity between the objects and the viewer, pushing the boundaries of this form of illumination. I foresee a clear trajectory and boundless potential for the future pieces in this transformative series.

PLASMA
I’m passionate about Plasma or Plasma Light, a process requiring the technical and artistic expressions of glass with the alchemical and scientific application of excited gases and specialized equipment that you would also find used in neon.
Plasma brings something unique to glass, and that is to invite touch, something very difficult. By producing light through the use of electrified gases it removes the barrier between the viewer and art with its animated glow, allowing an invitation for play as it responds to the viewer’s proximity and touch.

Katabasis

Katabasis is the epic convention in mythology for the hero’s journey to the underworld. It is also defined as retreat inward from the coast, or in modern psychology an unofficial term used to describe the depression specifically noted in young men.

Works produced under this context explore that underworld, or inner space. These spaces include those physically inside the body and that of the mind. Ideas are rendered via somatic symbolism which I define as referencing the human body, such as used in mythology and religious storytelling, allowing for complex expressions to be more readily accessible. The presence of light calls upon our sense of space, as well as our attention. In that light, there is vitality, and with the use of plasma illumination, that light has a liveliness with its animated glow that responds to the viewer’s proximity and touch. Glass, as the primary medium and container of this light with its transparency, refractivity, seeming contradictory properties of unassuming strength, and undeniable fragility shows the potential to tell some very human stories in very strange yet relatable ways.

Inspire

Inspire is a series of blown glass lungs, which began as an exercise in drawing on glass using engraving and carving techniques. In creating the lungs, effortless fluidity and breath are required to give it shape and form. To balance these efforts, like its namesake, I let the process be my inspiration. Each drawing starts with a series of lines that wrap around the piece. These lines are then used as guides to create an evolving pattern when viewed from multiple perspectives. While Design is the focus of the work, the labor reveals something beautiful when we can peel away the outer layers and see what lies beneath.