ROOTS
The paintings in “Roots Ever Green” are the genesis for most of my nature-inspired work that ensued. This series examines the cyclical concept of origin and decline, and depicts the myriad root forms of the wildflowers of North America. The root systems speak to transformation and growth and represent the foundation of our shared human experience.
The sculptural installation “Uprooted” came several years later after I developed an affinity for re-purposing and transforming materials three-dimensionally. My interest in the concept of roots had not waned.
“Roots Ever Green” explores the confluence of culture and nature. The work embodies several dualities, including the fleeting versus the timeless, and what is below the surface versus what is above. Juxtaposing the “hardness” of the ironwork images and imposing them upon the fragility of tissue and rice papers creates tension. The process of cutting, pasting and blowing paint through a straw contrasts with the more technical and traditional manipulation of oil paint.
