Artist Statement
For the body of work created for my show "Considering The Future"
The wooden panels I used for these pieces were built from discarded pallets that I collected and dismantled by hand. While building the panels, I like to think about the places these boards have been. Where they were, when they were still trees? What they've transported, and how far they've traveled? I think about how each board could tell a story about its life, and about the marks and damage it's incurred along the way. And now these old tattered boards will be looked at and appreciated. Polar opposites from their initial purpose.
For me, welding is a very meditative process. While welding pieces like this, my mind has a tendency to wander. I've been thinking about the future a lot lately. Both my own and globally. Where I will live. If I will go back to school. What I'll do for work. Wife? Children? I'm worried about the current state of the world. The threat of nuclear war and the consequences that would bring; overpopulation; drug-resistant diseases; and especially the ecological impact we are having on our planet. ¬The effects of global warming are starting to become apparent. More frequent and severe weather patterns are showing up. Our forests are being cut down faster than they can grow back. Food shortages. Rising sea levels. It paints a bleak picture. Sure, everything is fine for now. But if we continue living our current lifestyles, things will eventually catch up with us.
While I don't think there is any "quick fix" for this, if we all make an effort, at the very least it will help the situation. Over the past year, I have considered my role as a person on this earth. I have started to become a little bit more aware of my ecological impact and I hope that these pieces can reflect these considerations. I have made some changes to my lifestyle that will have a positive impact and I am proud of that. Even one person makes a difference. It is my hope that these pieces will encourage others to reflect upon their own lives and lifestyles. To consider what role they play and how in the end all our actions do indeed affect us all.
Consider the future...