I make abstract sculptures out of steel wire by using textile processes to examine obsession and control. Traditional craft techniques like weaving, braiding and knotless netting can be seen with varying degrees of tension and density to consider the differences in being open or closed off, relaxed or uptight without passing judgment on either condition. This work is very labor-intensive, fueled by a compulsive need for repetition and reverence. Structures are often comprised of obsessively repeated gestures that are dysfunctional given the intended purpose of the materials yet ambitious given the context.
Using steel wire instead of conventional fibers subverts textiles as a medium and pushes the range of expectations associated with hard and soft. I explore vulnerability and dysfunctional behavior by constructing objects that reference penetrable boundaries or are in some way arbitrarily constrained. A desire for control is highlighted by the tight, inflexible forms made with the restriction of a single material. Simultaneously, there is an inherent acceptance of disorder in the lack of precision or adherence to traditional materials in craft. This dichotomy between total control and chaos is negotiated throughout the work.