Bricks & Botanicals

In my work I investigate the process of physical degradation by using the construct of architecture and its decorative elements. I draw inspiration from deteriorated and weather-worn buildings and their ornamentation: aged stone and terra cotta facades, hazy stained glass, fractured adornment, peeling wallpaper, and other architectural components that have been left to the elements. My aim is to capture the unperceived beauty and intricacy of this ongoing process of decline. 

The work presents narratives of impermanence and by creating a connection with man-made structures I’m looking to reveal the correlations between architecture and  the natural world, that being the slow erosion of both over long periods of time. The  breakdown of surfaces are metaphors for our own existence. The bright, enlivened  surfaces offer a contradiction to this state of decay, as memories are altered and  embellished through imprecise remembrance. The two-dimensional imagery in the  work is a flattened representation of the three-dimensional ornament found within  architecture of the last century and beyond. This diminished dimensionality conveys  the transformative aspects of our experiences from real world existence to the stored  information in our minds. 

The engagement between the deteriorated forms and the obscured surfaces suggests  a temporal and spatial connection to our own brief and chronicled existence. 

This collection of work is specifically influenced by architectures use of natural  elements for embellishment. These forms, inspired by the aforementioned  framework, are created to display the vibrancy of the floral world. Stylized  impressions of Acanthus, Chrysanthemums, Clover, Allium bulbs, and other botanicals adorn each piece. On closer inspection, the lively, colorful surfaces give way to  patterns of complex deterioration. A fate destined to the inhabitants of these vessels,  within and without.