Bilateral and Assemblages, 1980-1986

These bilateral terracotta works were exercises in search of image, and a figurative language outside of overt figurative representation. Working in clay with the simple restriction of working bilaterally gave me inventive room to explore images with various form interactions such as gravity, tension, compression, and articulation by producing images with various combinations of hard and soft forms using a single material.

The assemblages were an inverse exercise, using found objects to create actual form interactions through constructive arrangement rather than the illusionistic suggestions produced through clay. Not gluing objects together, but attaching with other joining methods was the primary creative restriction. Tying, hanging, balancing, stretching, and stacking are some examples. As the collected objects accumulated, they became a rich palette of different materials, colors, textures, and surfaces for sculptural investigation and imagery.