My most recent research and sculptures allude to the fall and potential rise of the manufacturing industry. This subject matter is not without political undertones. Considering a recent promise made by the President to, “remove the rust from the Rust Belt”, my passion for metal (and a slight romanticization of industrial practices) led me to understand manufacturing from a historical, economical, and global point of view. All of the sudden, I too want to remove the rust. And while I have no solutions, I seek discussions about automation, technology, and a necessary evolution of an outdated view of labor.
While addressing politicized issues from a material standpoint, I aim to uncover blind-spots and to unpack misconceptions surrounding manufacturing industries to better connect us to the materials that enhance our lives and to the places that produce them. Of the work included here, many make reference to the political allegories found in L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, surrounding the rural poverty of the Dust Bowl, illustrating a haunting similarity to the declining steel and automotive industry in America. The book is a hopeful allegory about resilience in their time and posits a poignant juxtaposition to the current devastation throughout derelict manufacturing towns.
The Railroad Station, Salem, NY
Prompting this research, I visited numerous sites such as American Steel Foundry in Granite City, Illinois, and the non-operational blast furnaces in Scranton, Pennsylvania and Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham, Alabama. Experiencing these sites reminded me of my smallness, while simultaneously bolstering my confidence in our collective ability to adapt and innovate. My aim is to bridge the gaps between materials, industries, and our bodies. Manufacturing is controlled by both automation and by hand. It impacts us globally and locally. I’d like to continue a conversation about these issues, therefore bringing us closer to an understanding of the products we use and to remind us of the journeys they have taken.
cast plaster, sandpaper, galvanized joists, 2019
GM Collectibles
~ 8” x 10” 2”
Hoist Hook
~6” x 12” x 2”
Tire Iron
~ 12” x 10” x 2”
GM Collectibles
Hoist Hook
Tire Iron
cast brass, blue cotton rag, 2019
~ 12” x 2” x 14”
resin-bonded sand, graphite, steel, 2019
~36” x 12” x 4”
resin-bonded sand, graphite, steel, 2019
~ 12” x 8” x 3”
No Place Like Home
found steel wheel rim, cast silver, 2019
~36" x 48" x 10”
found steel, cast pewter, wax, 2019
~ 18" x 24" x 6”
cast iron, 2019
~16" x 6"x 6”
cast iron, 2019
~11" x 14" x 3”
cast iron, 2019
~ 12” x 20” x 4”
resin-bonded sand, cast brass, 2019
16" x 18" x 2”
cast brass, 2019
~10" x 10" x 2”
resin-bonded sand, cast brass, 2019
8"x 8" x 2”
found steel door, cast aluminum, cinderblock, 2019
~19" x 40" x 2”
cast aluminum, 2019
6.5" x 3.75" x 1”
resin-bonded sand, cast aluminum, 2019
~ 10” x 16” x 2”
