We live in trying times. To cope and move forward, I believe radical empathy is called for. I was taught by my Midwestern upbringing that the fastest way to create pathways for empathy is in the sharing of food and drink. I create representational mixed-media sculptures in clay and gypsum based on an archive of family photographs where the offering of food and drink is evident as a constant thread, no matter the joy or solemnity of the occasion. A sculpture of a hand reaching out to offer a deviled egg is based off a moment from my archive, but also serves as a self-portrait representing a desire to offer empathy in the form of food.
To me, objects that carry the sentiments and gesture of hospitality and empathy are so often the vessels that serve food. Functional ceramic sculptures reflect my desire to create pathways for empathy through interaction by audiences. In the body of work I am pursuing currently, I am making sculptural homages to Copper jello molds, serving platters, and Toby mugs, the familiar tchotchkes from the backgrounds of my archive. Sculpted in clay, a mug or copper mold provides for me a blank canvas to communicate intimate portraits and stories based on my archive. My hope is that by telling my stories, I invite my audience to think about their own. Through storytelling, we can access more empathy, preferably over a plate brimming with food and a good drink to wash it down.
To me, objects that carry the sentiments and gesture of hospitality and empathy are so often the vessels that serve food. Functional ceramic sculptures reflect my desire to create pathways for empathy through interaction by audiences. In the body of work I am pursuing currently, I am making sculptural homages to Copper jello molds, serving platters, and Toby mugs, the familiar tchotchkes from the backgrounds of my archive. Sculpted in clay, a mug or copper mold provides for me a blank canvas to communicate intimate portraits and stories based on my archive. My hope is that by telling my stories, I invite my audience to think about their own. Through storytelling, we can access more empathy, preferably over a plate brimming with food and a good drink to wash it down.