Withering Bloom
found objects and digital painting
The idea was to interview someone you'd never normally think you'd speak to, and create an interpretative piece based on your understanding of that person's life. I decided to talk with and listen to a pole dancer who shall ever remain nameless.
Skin
macro photography and transparency film, packaging design
This is a set of images inspired by the Human Picture Project, and the question of 'what is uniquely human.' While we can be colored by race and gender, aging in our skin is something familiar yet foreign all at once.
Red & White
acrylic paint on heavy board
This was my first foray into using acrylic as a paint rather than as plastic material, like the kind used in workshops to create furniture. Also a lesson in keeping a proper record of my work...
Building Block
pencil on paper
Paraphrased from Instructor Vincent Castagnacci, his comment on this piece was that artists should be aware that they are not be restricted to only reproducing what they see.
There are millions of decisions to make even in a simple sketch - what to show, what to ignore, what to bring to focus.
To me, this is a lesson in having presence of mind in the creation process.
Dark Lady
acrylic paint on palette paper
This was a product of serendipidous chance. I was painting something else at the time when this gradually took form on my palette - an example of value in allowing the subconscious mind freedom in the creation process.
Golden Lotus
brass, steel and spray paint
An exploration of form, containment and illumination, this 11 x 11 x 4 inch piece is a lighted sculpture made from a ferrous and non-ferrous metal.
The lotus is, said to grow out of the dirtiest water, is sacred in Hindu, Buddhist and Egyptian religions as a symbol of purity, cosmic harmony, spiritual enlightnment and resurrection. It is also my mother's favorite flower, even before she became a devout Buddhist.
I fabricated this flower to hold candles for her home shrine as a visual reminder that light stems from within. Although she constantly strives to rid herself of perceived flaws for the sake of immortal perfection, those imperfections are what make her a unique, wonderful and irreplaceable human being.
This piece was showcased in the Forth Annual All Student Exhibition at the University of Michigan School of Art & Design.
Dragon of Wishes, Hopes and Dreams
This 5 x 16 feet triptych is the first collaboration between Artists in Residence at the University of Michigan, and Gifts of Art at Michigan Medicine, the largest hospital in said state. It commemorates the 20th anniversary of the UM Hospitals and Health Centres, won a Golden Paint Brush Award for Community Service, and is a permanent installation located outside the Main Lobby of the University Hospital on Floor 1.
The initial design was created by artist Katy Bergman Cassell, and funded by the UM Health System’s Fostering Innovations Grant. Assistant Professor Anne Mondro led its fabrication for the last third of her Art and Design class Retaining Identity: The Role of Creative Work within the Healthcare Setting, after which I stayed (Spring 2006) to see the project to completion.
Each dragon scale is a piece of paper decorated with the wishes, hopes & dreams of over 1700 doctors, patients, faculty, students and staff. Messages vary from the heart-wrenching, 'When I am gone, I hope that my children [...]' to relatable humorous ones such as, 'I wish to be debt free.'
