(Quintessence: /kwɪn.ˈtɛs.əns/ the fifth and highest element in ancient and medieval philosophy that permeates all nature and is the substance composing the celestial bodies.)
supported by (to date): U.S. National Endowment for the Arts (Alice F. and Harris K. Weston Art Gallery / Aronoff Center for the Arts), Lillian Orlowsky and William Freed Foundation, Queen City Clay
Crystals are everywhere—in clouds composed of ice, diamonds within a meteorite formed in the solar system's earliest moments, in calcite micro-crystals in the brain's pineal gland, in ephemeral ice converging for a brief moment on a window pane in winter.
I culture crystals with water soluble minerals on supports. The resulting crystals’ patterns depend mainly on my collaborators: the materials' inherent geometric properties, the gravitational pull of the earth, and water's evaporation/cooling process. The work pays homage to minerals and crystals, the essential elements without which our bodies cannot exist. The alchemical process explores a poetic reunion with nature, and expression of the sublime unity and connection between nature and humanity. It manifests nature's power, its ubiquitous presence, and humanity’s intrinsic entwinement.