This series of work explores the garden as a private setting where the cycles of life are visual and visceral. I have memories from childhood of going outside into the garden by myself early in the morning, and as an adult I understand the garden as a space for growth, renewal, and transformation.The floral, bodily, and organic forms of these sculptures are small monuments that celebrate and proclaim beauty, sensuality, and power.
I have strong childhood memories of venturing into the garden by myself early in the morning. I would pretend that I was in a rainforest, and go about collecting leaves, rocks, and other natural objects that became my provisions and sustenance for when the rains came. As an adult, I understand that this kind of play is a way of working through early experiences and making sense of the world. We do this as adults, too, of course, and this psychological processing now occurs through my art practice. I have come to understand gardens—backyards, botanical gardens, vegetable gardens, and this ceramic garden at A-B Projects—as places for continual growth, renewal, and transformation. The sculptures in this garden reflect my current family unit and the layered relationships between my husband, daughter, and myself. The forms are quirky, weird, refined, and sometimes abject, thereby acknowledging the complexity, peculiarity, beauty, and confusion of our humanness. Our Garden Of is a secure space for wander and wonder; a space to consider our roles as interconnected individuals.
Our Garden Of was a solo exhibition at A-B Projects Gallery in Los Angeles, CA.
