‘Nec in Caleo, Nec in Terra’ 2003-05
A good way to start…
‘Nec in Caleo, Nec in Terra’ otherwise known as ’Neither in Heaven, Nor on Earth’ was part of my undergraduate thesis, and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to show it around a few times. Looking back, it sure was fun, and it really captures the essence of all my work that has followed.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Within this body of work, I sought to entwine a sense of spirituality and creation within the framework of nature to form a reflective and pantheistic space. I have recently found myself looking towards nature and drawing upon her quintessential life-giving elements of stone, water, fire, and air. Through the use of iconography, I have sought to bring these natural forms together, drawing inspiration from the book of Genesis.
The constant of seasonal change has been of great importance and inspiration for this body of work. Each season closely mirrors the cycle of human life, filled with all its growth at first, but constrained by its own fragility. The imprint and ingenuity of civilization upon the earth, seen in the development of agriculture and machinery, is also been reflected within this work. I have specifically incorporated elements of grain, which have been grown locally and now can be found entwined within the space. I have also made extensive use of mechanical inventions, such as galvanized steel and braided wire, and have found means to incorporate those into the works.
The stonework has been constructed from locally harvested limestone lifted directly from sedimentary bluff outcroppings, revealing the ravages of time and life. I have intervened to merely arrange and manipulate these natural artifacts into vertebrae-like forms, as they embody the ideal of everlasting life. The constant struggle within this body of work is to find a balance between the hand of God, the forces of nature, and the role of civilization. What I have tried to create with these remnants of thoughts and ideas is a reflective and pantheistic space to look within and to discover for ourselves where we fit within a mortal earthly life and a spiritual existence.
