It comes from long years using the process of molding and casting.  It’s also an exploration—I had the notion that it would look “something like this” and I wanted to see if I was correct.  The imagery and motifs come from many series of previous works and while it makes references to those works, it isn’t part of those particular trains of thought.  This seems to be how new series of pieces arrive, not as concrete vision, but as part of an ongoing dialogue with making.

And once in the process of making, decisions are made and other options are put aside.  It’s not that the particular decision is incorrect, its just not correct for this individual situation.  Exploring the “alternatives”, using the discarded decisions, seems to yield different facets to the nebulous thought that began the image that often generates more questions, that need more answers.  It becomes a circular and addictive activity until it runs its course and a different speculation takes precedence in a new direction.

When I was beginning this series, a student who was assisting me asked, “Aren’t you bored after these three molds?  Let’s do something different.”  I can say in retrospect that I’m not bored, but some of these pieces have been, and will be re-melted because after the fact they don’t live up to the promise that I originally envisioned.  The ability to destroy, as well as the ability to create, is all part of the ongoing process.