Liberating the Figurine
Plate by plate, porcelain replaced the gilded dining wear of the 18th C. bourgeois and the collection of porcelain began its meteoric rise toward obsession. Porcelain’s dominance was evidenced by Europe’s flourishing factories; perhaps more important, however, was the replacement of the beloved sugar figurine with the porcelain figurine. Much like fashion houses, porcelain factories created their own forms, designs, patterns and ornaments, and the bourgeoisie also used the dining wares with specificity by placing, or patterning, their dinners and gatherings. Though the outlets continually change, all of these interpersonal dramas, the fashion and the fuss continue today and it makes its way into my work.
My primary focus is liberating the figurine from its roots in mass-production by creating one-of-a-kind autobiographical narratives. As ornaments, collectible objects of wealth, and artifacts of the domestic realm, decorative figurines conceal secrets about individual lives. Inspired by these hidden stories, I transform the base figure by layering images, ornament, and playing with forms to construct my own tales and reveal my own observations.
Currently I am expanding upon my previous parodies of decorative figurines by delving into the darker side of relationships and domestic rites: twisted tales of master and servant, the innocence of the floral-clad maid, the dominance of patriarchal desire. Tricked out in frilly camouflage, these characters disregard tradition, exposing society's cistern of unmentionables.
All works are porcelain with decals and luster, designed and executed by the artist in her studio.
Plate by plate, porcelain replaced the gilded dining wear of the 18th C. bourgeois and the collection of porcelain began its meteoric rise toward obsession. Porcelain’s dominance was evidenced by Europe’s flourishing factories; perhaps more important, however, was the replacement of the beloved sugar figurine with the porcelain figurine. Much like fashion houses, porcelain factories created their own forms, designs, patterns and ornaments, and the bourgeoisie also used the dining wares with specificity by placing, or patterning, their dinners and gatherings. Though the outlets continually change, all of these interpersonal dramas, the fashion and the fuss continue today and it makes its way into my work.
My primary focus is liberating the figurine from its roots in mass-production by creating one-of-a-kind autobiographical narratives. As ornaments, collectible objects of wealth, and artifacts of the domestic realm, decorative figurines conceal secrets about individual lives. Inspired by these hidden stories, I transform the base figure by layering images, ornament, and playing with forms to construct my own tales and reveal my own observations.
Currently I am expanding upon my previous parodies of decorative figurines by delving into the darker side of relationships and domestic rites: twisted tales of master and servant, the innocence of the floral-clad maid, the dominance of patriarchal desire. Tricked out in frilly camouflage, these characters disregard tradition, exposing society's cistern of unmentionables.
All works are porcelain with decals and luster, designed and executed by the artist in her studio.
