American Landscape #5

My current work is an exploration of surfaces and textures, expressed in flat and linear forms which create abstract organic images.

American Landscape series is a departure from a previous body of work, in broken glass and barbed wire, that is figurative and volumetric.

This series was created in response to the political and social climate our society faces after September 11, 2001.

The first pieces in the series were horizontal landscapes of rusted steel and broken glass, with a thread of barbed wire winding through as the horizon line.

I discovered while working on #5, still deeply affected by the events of September 11, that it was meant to be oriented vertically rather than horizontally, to honor the towers.

In earlier works, the edges of the horizontal pieces had been polished. In #5, they were purposely cut, broken, and chiseled to symbolize the attack and destruction of the towers.

I find my inspiration- as dark as it can be sometimes - in local and global events. I react and respond to social, political, or human rights issues which triggers an emotion in my mind that I want to communicate through visuals and with materials that engage one's thought process.

It's almost impossible to discover a new idea or an original thought. I use unconventional materials to challenge myself to strive, discover, experiment, innovate, and search for new methods and ways to convey visual imagery.