Trace is a temporal expression of existence and indexical of that which has been present but is no more – a ‘stand-in’ for the original and a signifier of time and change.

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Rust residue from iron is evocative of the physical narrative of change as evidence of an ongoing and relentless natural process. I use rust in my art both as a memento mori - a reminder of our impermanence - as well as a vehicle for examining the complexities of our existence.

 

When we think about time, it is often in terms of human measure; hours, days, years, sometimes generations or even eras. However, humans are ultimately derived from stardust that is billions of years old:  we are ephemeral beings suspended in the ‘stuff’ of the Universe. From the elements formed in the explosions of supernovae (caused by the special properties of iron), to the molecules within our bodies that are integral to the basic functions of our physiology and, even, to much of the infrastructure of the modern world, humans are inextricably linked to iron.

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As a visual artist, I document the transformation of this highly reactive ‘inanimate’ and inorganic matter as an intellectual exercise in our universal material belonging as a part of the natural world, as well as a philosophical connection of self to the cosmos.

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We are originated in dust and will return to dust. I am fascinated by the continuity and ongoing transformation of matter associated with that improbable journey. 

 

 

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