Over the years, my work has developed combining the elements and
principles of design with the truth and simplicity of Zen thought. The Naked Parasol series began in 2000 and was born out of my long term fascination with Japanese culture and asthetics. I have collected bamboo and paper parasols for many years and as I watched them age and decompose, I tried repairing them with glue and paper until
one day, feeling that a particular parasol was beyond repair, I cut off all the paper, very delicately with a razor blade. I was struck by the intricate beauty of the skeleton and felt it to be visually more powerful than its original form. The series, Empty Stones, began in 1995, was constructed from wire and steel rod. Rocks are ancient, solid and accessible. They are grounded, bound with the earth and have a rounded, bottom-heavy form, a female, "earth-mother" shape and feel. My stones are hollow inside. Being empty suggests free, open to possibilities, new beginnings, being there in present time. The stones possess a quiet, contemplative nature. My work is about centering and focusing my thoughts. The Fiberworks series began in 1992, was constructed from natural fiber and rock. My aim was to capture a "Zen-like" simplicity of pure form with the freshness of earthy textures. The meticulously wrapped, natural fiber works reflected the traditional packaging of old Japan and the spirit of the Zen rock gardens that have been an insp[iration in my work for many years. The pieces related to growth, a becoming, a potential for life. The Fiber and Bone series began in 1999, is an earthy blending of materials ranging from weathered animal bone and other organic matter to rusty chain and discarded pottery fragments. The work echoes an archaic time of ceremonial ritual and mythic legend with a primitive tribal feeling of kinship with nature and belief in magic. I use found objects that attract my interest. They may come from the ground, a scrap pile, a friend or my dinner plate. My aim is to unify the materials giving them a new life that supplies the viewer with pleasure, curiosity and a bit of mystery. The Boxed Works were created from 1973 to 1992. The pieces consisted of wood boxes varying in size from three inches to twelve feet square containing soft, rounded sensual forms made from a variety of materials from resin to organic matter. I worked with pure forms accentuating space, texture, light, color and movement. I used repetition to add visual rhythm and the effect achieved was an organic composition that suggested a strange secret life was contained within the walls of the box.
