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My work recognizes the impact of the heirloom while embracing the integrity of the original objects. Each piece attempts to honor a memory or feeling through an object that serves as a reminder of a previous time. My pieces elaborate on the inherent characteristics of the heirloom by initiating narratives relating to both past and present experiences, revolving around family history, personal relationships, memory and sentiment. As humans, we hunger for objects that connect us to our past. In my work I use found objects that at one time held significance to an individual or family, but through the passage of time have been stripped of their previous associations and their significance forgotten. I take these objects and re-invent them in a way that I hope encourages viewers to revisit their past, consider objects of personal historical significance, and reflect on their own relationships. I am intrigued by the longing that we have as humans, to hold onto what will inevitably be lost. I enjoy exploring the relationships we build with specific objects and our need to maintain collections. My work is intended to lead viewers to a feeling, an emotion, to evoke feelings of nostalgia, something that cannot exist without loss. Thus, I choose specific found objects: those which are familiar and rich in history, and give these objects a new life. I often utilize antique silver platters, discarded flatware, and chandelier crystals. These carefully selected found objects bring their own history to the work; rust scratches and dents all play an important role in the stories being told. My work embraces marks of use and wear, and incorporates detail through the addition of hand embroidery, pearls, silk, and lace. This combination dually references past generations and intimate activities that held significance to the family. The found objects I choose are not simply objects of the past existing in the present, but are meant to shroud the present within the past. As humans, we are drawn to objects that remind us of moments, people, and places that are lost to us. Recognizing this, it is crucial that my pieces are accessible, meaningful on an intimate, personal level, and that they become facilitators of such narrative: objects of significance that identify the necessary moments and memories of everyday life. |
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Historically, domestic and jewelry objects have been passed on as heirlooms, transcending generations, carrying with them memory and sentiment. These heirlooms both authenticate experience and serve as a record or memoir of past events and personal histories.