Becoming

Copper, Enamel, Glass, Sterling Silver
6 1/4" x 2 1/4" x 2 1/4"

Becoming is a piece which combines text and a found object with an organic form in order to convey the idea of change and development. As one of the petals is opened on this box, the new growth of a silver seedling is revealed within a tiny hourglass. Based in part on the philosophy of ecriture feminine, the action verbs etched into the surface of the floral form disclose a personal history of my own evolution.

Western Tea Set

Sterling Silver, Glass, Honey, Lemon Juice
3 1/2" x 5 1/2" x 2 1/2"

Tea brings to mind both ceremonial rituals of Eastern cultures and the conventionality of an afternoon English routine. In Western Tea Set these notions are exploited to address sources of patriarchy and female subjugation. The uterine quality of the tea set presents a duality of woman as the locus of life and the bearer of original sin. Cast rose hips give placental weight to the immersed fruit, nourishing the blame for the suffering of mankind made evident by sharp thorns. Honey and lemon juice serve to sweeten and conceal the bitter overtones of the staining beverage.

Golden Lotus

Copper, Enamel, Brass

3 1/2" x 5" x 5 1/4"

http://www.angelfire.com/ca/beekeeper/foot.html

Yoke

Copper, Enamel 5" x 5" x 5"
The relationship between woman and serpent as symbols of life predates monotheism. After the introduction of the Garden of Eden, the snake became the incarnation of evil and Eve received the burden of blame by a patriarchal society. My intention with Yoke is to replace this burden with beauty. The enameled scales conform to the movement of the body, uniting woman with the regenerative characteristics of the skin shedding serpent.

Garden Tools

Copper, Enamel, Fine Silver, Sterling Silver, Apple Seeds

3 3/8" x 5" x 7"

Garden Tools merges the notion of temptation with the physical characteristics of a serpent through color and the technique of copper mesh inlay. The symbolic apple opens to become a receptacle for ink, conveying the power of the written word as a tool used historically to subjugate women.

Book of Life

Copper, Brass, Heat patina

4" x 3" x 1"

The Book of Life opens up to declare nature as divine vernacular. Layered pages imprinted by leaves unfurl in revelation of life's history. God's voice speaks following the purest syntax, not paraphrased or confused by language deviations. Truth is exposed, unedited by what is culturally vogue and undefiled by political agendas.

The Treachery of Symbols

Sterling Silver, Glass, Earth, Bone
2 1/4" x 5 1/4" x 1 3/4"

Everything that we believe we "know" is limited by our experiences, our environment, our culture, and our genes, which combined, give us our individual perception of what is real. Our senses are the mediators between reality and our awareness of it. Relative truth, adopted truth, personal truth. I am interested in the defintions assigned to identities, their significances, and the influential forces that drive them, be they archetypes, religions or societies.
In The Treachery of Symbols, the image of man becomes deified, and a remote, mysterious God that breathes life through the pipe's stem becomes tangible. The symbol of the pipe, an object traditionally associated with culture and spirituality, gives identity to a God that we can potentially grasp. The earth and bone cloistered within the bowl of the pipe represent man and woman, encapsulated by their socially appointed roles. As the bowl is opened fully, the female becomes positioned away from the male. When closed, the center of life returns to that familiar state where only ashes remain.