artist statement for the "gray's anatomy reconfigured" series

My work is inspired and influenced by anatomical imagery. I draw influence from my family and friends that work in the medical field. My mother is a microbiologist, my best friend is a lab technician at a local hospital and my roommate is studying to be a doctor. Medical apparatus and imagery constantly surround me. I have many memories from when my mother would take me to work with her. Some of these recollections are pleasant, but others are haunting.
Ideas from everyday conversation with people in the medical field and memories of being around the hospital as a child shape every composition. I love the way that my artwork is bringing to light these images that most people overlook. Medical and anatomical images are very sterile in today’s society. I believe they have great influence on our lives. The images are beautiful in their curvilinear and biomorphic shapes and lines. Also, the colors and textures associated with them are almost limitless.
I try to use one or more new techniques on each new piece that I create. I am constantly evolving and thinking about my body of work as a whole. I hope to continue to create a cohesive line of works for years to come. Over the past years, I have worked with different metals, enameling techniques, feltings, hydraulic press techniques, etc. I want to create some utilitarian items in the future. I have created many pieces that are sculptural and a bit functional, but are not intended for everyday use.
My influences have been integrated into many hours worth of work in research. I have been looking at the images in Henry Gray’s Anatomy of the Human Body. With my new work, I want to create pieces that can be wearable so as to interact with the wearer. I have been talking with a few medical students about possible inspiration for my pieces. By carrying on conversations with them, I come up with many fresh, new ideas. I feel that this interaction is key in the process of making my work distinct.
Many of my pieces are centered around the image and idea of the heart. The heart is an important muscle for the body and mind. My current work is focusing on dental imagery. Teeth are an eternal part of someone that can be kept in remembrance. I struggle with the idea of the mortality of those that surround me.
Ideas from everyday conversation with people in the medical field and memories of being around the hospital as a child shape every composition. I love the way that my artwork is bringing to light these images that most people overlook. Medical and anatomical images are very sterile in today’s society. I believe they have great influence on our lives. The images are beautiful in their curvilinear and biomorphic shapes and lines. Also, the colors and textures associated with them are almost limitless.
I try to use one or more new techniques on each new piece that I create. I am constantly evolving and thinking about my body of work as a whole. I hope to continue to create a cohesive line of works for years to come. Over the past years, I have worked with different metals, enameling techniques, feltings, hydraulic press techniques, etc. I want to create some utilitarian items in the future. I have created many pieces that are sculptural and a bit functional, but are not intended for everyday use.
My influences have been integrated into many hours worth of work in research. I have been looking at the images in Henry Gray’s Anatomy of the Human Body. With my new work, I want to create pieces that can be wearable so as to interact with the wearer. I have been talking with a few medical students about possible inspiration for my pieces. By carrying on conversations with them, I come up with many fresh, new ideas. I feel that this interaction is key in the process of making my work distinct.
Many of my pieces are centered around the image and idea of the heart. The heart is an important muscle for the body and mind. My current work is focusing on dental imagery. Teeth are an eternal part of someone that can be kept in remembrance. I struggle with the idea of the mortality of those that surround me.