As a ceremonialist artist, I make sense of the world through engaging in symbolic actions. Through this work, I process complex emotions and a desire for transformative growth through personal and shared ceremony and ritual. Ritual is ephemeral—it is moments in time—and these moments at the intersection of artistic expression, spirituality and meaning-making are the focus of my work. The ceremonies I create aim to bring people together, build community, and allow for personal and collective healing.
I have recently been responding to the ephemerality of ceremonialist work as an artform by being more intentional to document these moments in time through photography. I subsequently combine these captured moments through a series of processes resulting in digital collages. This digital post-processing has proven to serve as an exercise in experiential post-processing, helping me to visually see these moments in time as an expression of a singular experience. Processing both photographs and experience through the creation of digital collage allows me to reflect upon personal and shared ritual by bringing awareness to the relationships between the ephemeral and the tangible.
My work with sculptural ephemera is a practice of noticing and gratitude. As I spend time in nature I collect natural objects. I bring them home and bring them together. I observe them, noticing the aspects that make up their natural beauty. I notice the imperfections that make them beautiful and highlight these imperfections in gratitude for their contributions not only to the object's beauty, but to the beauty that exists in our world.
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In this practice of noticing, I have learned that beauty is found in the details. My work with sculptural ephemera is an exploration of the small details that make up our world. I create pieces that bring together natural elements, such as stones, shells and driftwood, to celebrate the beauty of these materials in all their forms. Through my work, I invite my viewers to take a moment to appreciate the small details and to find beauty in the imperfections.
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Heart in Darkness
Selenite Heart, Driftwood, Silver Leaf
2017