<p> This work concentrates on the relationships between shapes and the lines those shapes are composed of as well as the process by which they are created. In this thesis, I intend to explore the different characteristics of wood and to visualize the language and meaning of the work which results both from those characteristics and from the artist.</p><p> As a maker, I have always been fascinated by the use of wood in the creation of objects. Man can control a material against its own intrinsic attributes to create something very different from that material's natural shape. My works concentrate on illustrating how wood reacts to external manipulation or physical force and how it can accordingly be transformed and yet still keep its original characteristics. Therefore, the process of the construction of the final piece is crucial in my work. The process embodies the relationship between outward control or manipulation and reaction from a material, and it creates the tension between the two entities, producing a physical structure and also a visual presentation. Additionally, this relationship encapsulates a deeper meaning; in the same manner in which the wood strains against the making act of the artist, so also does human nature strive against the outward influences which seek to control it. Through the work, I intend to clarify how human beings interact with each other and how those interactions create emotional tension.</p>

<p> I seek to capture the ephemeral in a series of large-scale weavings that examine relationships between public and private, real and artificial, the mundane and the extraordinary. </p><p> I use mug shots as a device because they represent a perfect juncture between conflict and resolution. I assume the role of the accused in all the compositions. Rather than present the images as photographs I transform them into weavings. The zeros and ones that make up a digital image file become a code which translates as the over and under of warp and weft and embeds the image in the finished cloth. Matte yarn is used for the warp, shiny wire is used for the weft, transforming darks and lights in to rich tactile surfaces. The resulting image appears and disappears depending on the viewer's perspective. </p><p> The viewer is required to physically interact with the artwork in order to see the portrait, creating a dynamic between him and the person pictured. The image slips away as the viewer steps closer, shifting the viewer&amp;apos;s focus to other aspects of the work, and as he circles the art work to recapture the portrait there is time for layers of information to be read. The luxurious weavings are enigmatic and inspire a sense of wonder. Content, materials, and form combine to create a moment where the viewer is taken out of the expected, suspending a fleeting exchange in time and resulting in an experience rather than just a viewing.</p>

<p> Clothing serves as material evidence of the mental space we occupy. My designs are inspired by the man-made landscapes that surround me and I apply those patterns to the landscape of the body.</p><p> Like graphic design, fashion is a medium employed to convey messages and ideas. It is an expression of identity that is established through color, form, pattern and texture. My work seeks to synthesize human geography with graphic design in order to clothe the body and thus, fabricate identity.</p>