Artist’s Statement:

As an artist/ craftsman who has been doing it for a while and who has taught, I often ask myself, what do I make? Things of truth and beauty. My recent work often reflects a synthesis of the excellent craft and design training I’ve had, informed by the skepticism I often feel, perhaps because of my earlier scientific training, perhaps because of my post catholic rejection of dogma. So I try to make work that is sensible and if possible, lovely.

Regarding the Entropic Sconce:

In this piece, I am  interested in movement and balance. Further, the idea of a candle burning to nothing in time interests me as a person living on a finite, soon to be exhausted planet. Thoughts of the human fuel burn, the end of life (mine and the earth’s biodiversity) come to mind.

The candle burns, the weight relationships of the piece change and the sconce slowly moves from the six o’clock position to the twelve o’clock, eclipsing the gold leafed disc. The piece has a slow, interesting movement and casts a great shadow. If done gently, you can spin the piece by hand, making the thing swing through a full circle and cause the shadow to move quickly. It reminds me of being in at a Calder Mobile show, where you  blow at the mobiles and make them move. You can quietly watch it or play with it, even though it is on fire. It looks great in a darkened room.