My sculpture examines ideas of plenty, protection, and stress, from both a general and personal perspective. Whether it is preservative salt, crystallized on the surface of a defensive pepper spray canister, or a surplus of razor-sharp glass cups on an imperfect fuzzy rubber doughnut, the elements of my sculptures are all looking after something. Though some are more defensive than caring, all act as a shield, protecting their charge.
Making glass has changed the way I look at and think about form. Perfecting the transparent vessel has in the past been a focus of my life. I think this is why I have an attraction to the truly perfect vessel, a capsule, and have built the pieces in my thesis exhibition around its form.
Capsules are shiny, clean, consistent, and to me, visually satisfying. They are well engineered, which considering the digestive fate of most medication, is brilliant. The capsules are a modular form, which sit well with others. They are a component with ideas already implied.
They are rounded and smooth to slip down the throat with the least intrusion possible. They are designed to have no impact, until necessary. They expose just enough information for the viewer to digest, and come to their own conclusions about the experience.
I initially started working with drug capsules in relation to the connotations they bring as carriers of drugs or economics. Quickly though, I found their symbolism overwhelming. There are endless possibilities in using the form of pills to achieve a sculptural end, and this has brought me to a point where I can bring a narrative element into their use, and avoid some of their drug related connotations. This has shaped aspects of my work for this exhibition, and although I am working with new components, I am excited to be dealing with vessels again.