left to right: "blush case", "compact", "pharma flowers", pill capsules, syringes, coated wire, glass, 2013-2014

By juxtaposing divergent objects and using surface alteration to create sculptures, I am able to observe how this process (and product) changes thought about both substrate and coating as well as how we interact with the new third object. The empty make up cases were once very personal. They were held, carried in the purse or pocket, and for most women represent access to self esteem and our public "face". The case is now untouchable- covered in fragile, alluring, candy-like pill capsules that by their very nature evoke contradictory feelings of attraction and repulsion (the bitter pill), and invite consideration of the societal addiction to physical "perfection", youth, social facade, and the rituals we go through to adhere and assimilate. 

Similarly, Pharma flowers exploits the candy-like qualities of the pill and the provocative metaphor of syringes. I’m altering the viewer’s perception of the objects, challenging the accepted definition of and feelings (schema) around syringes and pill capsules in consciousness. I am aware of the unsettling irony related to the mixed associations these objects bring up for us about sickness/wellness, pain/pleasure, bodily invasion, and addiction. I am offering a paradoxical view of these objects, presenting their potential for beauty and whimsy. 

The pill covered "flower" arrangement provokes consideration of society's addiction to quick fix promises, Big Pharma's exploitation of the natural world to obtain raw materials,  their crafty presentation of marketing to make pills resemble candy (a positive association for most of us), and the resulting alteration of the environment by mass quantities of metabolized and excreted drugs. Click on an image to begin slideshow. 

NOTE: Pieces in this series are available by donation. Click here to learn more.