STATEMENT
The initial impetus for creating my current body of work, ‘Rust Never Sleeps’, was to come up with a way that I could combine my educations in steel fabrication and woodworking, other than using both wood and steel simultaneously. Though the two materials may seem quite different, I found many similarities in the techniques and processes used to make objects, specifically furniture.
Ultimately, I found that the best way to highlight these similarities in the realm of furniture making was to eliminate wood entirely from my process.
By recreating classic furniture designs completely out of painted and rusted steel, I am able to pay homage to, and in some ways make fun of both craft disciplines and the history of furniture making. At first glance, the pieces appear to be made of wood, and are often met with personal memories and connotations from viewers. Upon closer inspection however, it is revealed that the works are just not quite right, with rust spots, humorous images, or implied textiles, among other effects. I encourage viewers to experience wood and steel in a new light, and reevaluate their relationship to furniture.