Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Artist's Statement no. 2

(ABSTRACT WORKS of
MIXED MATERIALS)
 
My three-dimensional, image-free assemblage
work —affectionately referred to as “trash art”—
is a divergence from the very precise collages I
also create. It allows for freedom of expression in
a messier, more intuitive way. While there is still 
precision and care in how I place materials, I am
interested in elevating the beauty of debris and 
overlooked objects found along roadsides and 
highways, collected along solitary walking routes 
in moments of contemplation much like sea glass 
on a beach at low tide. I am particularly drawn to 
spilled and smashed remnants of car accidents for 
the charged energy I imagine they contain.

By elevating discarded materials, I create beauty
from what is often ignored or dismissed. This
work is a response to ideas I explored in my
college thesis, Art Every Day, as well as the
Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi with its
embrace of impermanence, transience, and
decay. These themes continue to guide my
practice; I aim to pay close attention to man-
made consumer materials typically taken for
granted and thus overlooked, repurposing them.

I began making this work partly due to the habitual 
exercise patterns I follow when my mind is most
distracted,often walking the same roads repeatedly.
Because I often travel with my head lowered, I
have always been attentive to what lies on the
ground beneath my downward gaze. I have especially 
found myself fascinated by broken car headlights and 
other fragments, imagining what they could become 
when thoughtfully arranged.

I have always been a bit of a magpie, and this has
been an empowering and freeing practice —one that 
yields me fulfillment but also, increasingly, some bit
of delight to share.

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