Impossible Shapes, 2013, installation view, Scaramouche, New York
An impossible object is a 2-dimensional figure, which is instantly interpreted as a representation of a 3-dimensional object. Upon further inspection, we see that it is not geometrically possible for such an object to exist. This creates a contradiction, between what we perceive and what we know to be true, leaving the viewer in a state of Aporia. My practice deals closely with the cognitive dissonance that occurs at moments where our mind fluctuates between intuition and logic. I want my work to exist in the superposition of these two states, so that this mindset can lead us to a higher understanding of the subject. By definition, an impossible shape is one that can not exist in real space, so to look at it is always confounding. In this series, I work directly within these spaces, to try to realize something that is unrealizable.
Impossible Shape 7a, 2012, Clay and underglaze, 10.5 x 7 in.
Impossible Shape 8a, 2012, Clay and underglaze, 7.5 x 7.5 in.
Impossible Shape 5b, 2012, Clay and underglaze, 7 x 10 in.
Impossible Shape 6a, 2012, Clay and underglaze, 5.5 x 8 in.
Impossible Shape 15a, 2012, Clay and underglaze, 7 x 10 in.
Impossible Shape 19a, 2012, Clay and underglaze, 10 x 8 in.
Impossible Shape 18a, 2012, Clay and underglaze, 9 x 9.5 in.
Impossible Shape 16a, 2012, Clay and underglaze, 8 x 11 in.
Impossible Shape 17a, 2012, Clay and underglaze, 8 x 9 in.
Fish/Bird E34B, 2013, 211 glazed ceramic tiles, 20 x 70 x 60 in.
Fish/Bird E34B is a floor/wall piece made out of 211 glazed ceramic tiles. It is based on M.C. Esher’s piece from his group “Symmetry Drawings”. Formally, the sculpture is compiled from tessellated shapes of birds and fish, which fit into each other like a jigsaw puzzle. Mimicking the original, the bird and fish tiles alternately function as foreground or background, depending on whether the eye focuses on light or dark elements.
Cafe Wall I, 2013, wood, paint and plastic, 5 x 8.5 in.
From a distance, the chessboard-like design of blocks appear skewed, converging in markedly alternate-direction wedges. Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that each row is parallel.