Nature
These interplays between nature and culture create hybrid structures that reference biological and mathematical patterns visible in nature, such as the Fibonacci sequence and horseshoe crab mating chains. These patterns created a framework for the sculptures and reflections of nature in a domesticated version.
When creating the sunflower heads, I was particularly drawn to these spirals, seeing them as a bridge between the organic and the mathematical. These oversized, “wearable” necklaces referenced both the humor of creating a giant mating chain and the intricate beauty of natural forms as jewelry. Similarly, with the quilts, I played with the idea of coverings—the quilt as a protective layer for the body, and bark as the natural covering of a tree. While these ‘quilts’ appear soft and tactile, their actual materiality—rubber—challenges the social expectations of a common domestic object.
Horseshoe Crab Necklace, 60 x 60 x 5 inches, horseshoe crab shells, vintage baseball shin guard, 1999
Horseshoe Crab Necklace (Detail), 60 x 60 x 5 inches, horseshoe crab shells, vintage baseball shin guard, 1999

Horseshoe (Curled) I, 24 x 24 x 10 inches, horseshoe crab shells, coconut heishi, wire, 1999

Horseshoe (Helmet), 60 x 12 x 10 inches, horseshoe crab shells, coconut heishi, wire, 1999

Horseshoe (Curled) II, 24 x 24 x 10 inches, horseshoe crab shells, coconut heishi, wire, 1999

Tree Quilt I, 60 x 20 inches, rubber, pigment, 1999

Tree Quilt III, 36 x 36 inches, rubber, pigment, 1999

Tree Quilt II, 48 x 28 inches, rubber, pigment, 1999

Sunflowers Grid, 78 x 70 x 3 inches, dried sunflower heads, 1999

Sunflower Unit I, 10 x 10 x 3 inches, dried sunflower head, 1999

Sunflowers Grid (Detail), 78 x 70 x 3 inches, dried sunflower heads, 1999

Sunflower Unit II, 10 x 10 x 3 inches, dried sunflower head, 1999