Bespoke
A bespoke piece is the most direct way into my work. It begins with the ideas that move you. It covers the histories that matter to you, the future you are reaching toward, and the space the work will occupy. I take that shared information and carve it into form until it becomes the physical body of the work.
Because of the time and devotion provided to each work, I only take on a few of these. I choose the ones that genuinely compel me. The pull is usually both a person I want to work with directly and a question I am inspired to explore in depth. Every piece expands the work and takes my practice into new territory.
How a Piece Takes Shape
The Interview
We begin with a short conversation. I want to know what you hope this work will speak to and what you want it to hold. I also want to understand what drew you to my work and how that connects to what you are looking for in the final creation.
The Conversation
Once your project is accepted, we go deeper. Together we explore what you are seeking to express and memorialize, and we talk through the emotional dimension and the technical one.
The Concept
From our conversation, I shape the concept at the heart of the piece. We speak a second time to align on the core of the creation and the primary themes it will express, while leaving space for them to expand and evolve.
The Research
Once the direction of the piece is set, the excavation begins, moving around the concepts, out along the branches that extend from them, and through the histories, the symbolism, and the science the piece will be informed by. I immerse myself in the material until it is woven into my fibers, so I can express the ideas intuitively and instinctively in the piece.
The Making
Next, I gather the materials, such as papers, stones, and thread. I build the layers up, then carve back down into them, in the push and pull of addition and subtraction. With each pass, the topography surfaces, and what lies beneath the layers comes into view. If you want to follow the metamorphosis, I share periodic videos along the way.
The Arrival
When the piece is complete, it comes to you with the full record of its evolution. I give you the notes, the histories, and the story of how it came together, so you receive not only the piece but everything that shaped it. I coordinate with you and your preferred vendors for delivery and installation, and I am happy to offer a perspective on placement and lighting. It is yours to live with, and yours to pass on.
