INTERVIEWED BY PAULOMI MUKHERJEE

 

Why did you choose sculpture as your major?  

When I first started at SCAD I was in animation — I took one class in it and realized that drawing wasn’t what made me happy. I switched to sculpture the next quarter.  I like to have a connection with the materials and the work I create. Sculpture allows me to feel a piece out and gives me freedom to create whatever I want.

What inspires you to create the kind of work you make?

I’m inspired by nature and where I grew up in the Michigan countryside. The only way I see my work being different from others is that I work directly from my viewpoint on nature. No two people have the same views so that is what makes my work unique.

What has been one of the best experiences you’ve had at SCAD?

I had a lot of fun at Open Studio Night this year. It was the first time I saw how people outside of the sculpture studio reacted to my work. I had my large, wolf-hand puppet with me and the crowd would either be too nervous to approach or come and interact with it like it was a real animal. Somebody even brought their puppy over to sniff it.

What are some of your inspirations?

Beth Cavener has a really interesting way of sculpting animals out of ceramic. All of her work seems to have a flow and her sculptures have this lightness and windblown look to them. She uses very human ideas and represents them with animals in her art. The interactions between the animals in some of her work is stunning.

What has been your biggest challenge as a sculptor? 

Sculptures get displayed on pedestals which separates the viewer from the artwork. I feel like my work is strongest when people are allowed to interact with my art.  Finding a way to effectively use the pedestals has been a big challenge.  The conclusion I’ve come to is puppetry. It has a direct response to the viewer and they can interact with my art.  Figuring out how to construct puppets is an entirely new challenge that I am still figuring out.

What are your goals after SCAD?

The dream is to work in a creature shop.  I’ve always focused on making animals with my art and I really want to do that professionally. Other than that, I think it would be fun and worthwhile working in and learning different jobs that relate to sculpture. New experiences are essential to artists, it’s what lets them build on pre-existing ideas and grow a new body of work.