Bri E: Sense of Place

   Sense Of Place Artist Statements

    My sculptures evoke a sense of place by asking about what it means to have a place in society. We are raised from a young age to fit into a designated spot in the social hierarchy. So many outside factors like gender, race, and sexuality affect our ability to be accepted by society. If someone doesn’t fit within their box or wants to find a different place, they are often shunned for going against the norm. My pieces talk about how it feels not knowing one’s place in society and what it is like to go against the norm.

    My first piece “On the Outside” has a vulnerable but strong feeling. It is inspired by a sea turtle shell where the internal skeleton of the shell is exposed to the viewer. A turtle’s shell is important for the creature’s protection so having the internal structure of the body exposed creates a sense of venerability. The skeleton is cast iron with a steel perimeter which are materials traditionally associated with strength. The spine of the shell is exposed in a way that openly presents itself to the viewer, rather than hides it. The juxtaposition between these themes relates to how people are expected to hide their vulnerability in society to fit in with everyone. However, I find that when someone wears their heart on their sleeve and isn't afraid to show their vulnerability and feelings, they are much stronger because they face societal expectations head-on. Not everyone wants to fit in the box society made for them so finding the strength to make their place within our harsh world is admirable.

    My dragonfly evokes a sense of place through the inability to find one's place in society because of factors outside of their control. Many people are discriminated against for reasons not of their own making, so I wanted to show what this helplessness feels like through the imagery of an animal. I chose a dragonfly to represent these feelings because they are rather small, unassuming creatures we tend to take for granted. The combination of paper and metal wings is meant to represent the uncontrollable factors that make the back wings too heavy to move. I created a sense of movement and attempted to fly by making two sets of three paper wings. The combination of multiple wings makes it look like the dragonfly is trying to take off, but nothing is happening without the help of the back wings. The dragonfly’s inability to fly relates to how rules and people's attitudes can alienate people despite someone's best efforts to find a place in society. Not everyone has our best interests at heart, so we must try our all to find a way to make a place for ourselves.

    My iron Jackelope is a memento to my home state of Wyoming. I have lived here for as long as I can remember, and it has become a significant part of who I am. I appreciate the quiet openness of the country that I may not have been able to experience if I had been raised somewhere else. This piece relates to the physical place of the West and how important it is to me. The jackelope is a legend of the west that originated in Wyoming which is why I chose it to represent my home. My jackalope sculpture is made of iron so I knew I wanted to make it shiny to show off the metal. The process of casting gives objects a sense of preciousness so coupling it with a purple represents the significance and how dear my home is to me.

    My ceramic sculpture, “Emergence,” talks about the sense of place through its oceanic imagery. The forms of the three matching sculptures are rather ambiguous, with no design focusing on only one ocean-inspired element. These pieces were made to evoke the sense of the ocean and its ability to sustain life. The base of the sculpture is made of bubble-like spheres that climb up the sides of the piece. The main form of the pieces is inspired by the movement of waves as well as carvings on the inside that are similar to the surfaces of table coral. The way the two halves of the wave-like forms are connected makes them look like clam shells. I wanted to have this somewhat representational imagery with an abstract nature to truly represent the oceans and their vast unknown expanse. Nature is an important part of my style, and I find the ocean to be one of the most beautiful and impressive places on the planet. This is why I tried to focus on evoking the feelings of the ocean and what this place means to me.

    My piece, “Family Tree,” talks about one’s place in the family unit. Family is very important to me, especially on my dad’s side. We have a very tight bond with my dad’s side of the family because everyone lives relatively close to one another, so it makes visiting each other easier and happens more often. I used watercolor paper to make leaves to represent each member of my extended family on my dad’s side and made paper owls to represent myself, and my immediate family. We are all connected through family so hopefully if we have no one else we have our place with each other. One of the birds is flying away to represent the process of growing up and making a place for yourself. Eventually, we all must leave our families but our place within them will usually remain.

    My last piece, “Home” is another piece about family and my home in Wyoming. I use imagery from both my Native American heritage as well as scenery from my home near Heart Mountain in northern Wyoming to represent how special one’s family and home can be. The form of the Moccasin and Indian paintbrush flowers ties back to Wyoming as well as the Western plains where my ancestors would reside. The images of Tipis and the landscape of Heart Mountain connect the physical homes of my ancestors to my home growing up. The representation of these places highlights their importance to me and where I reside within them.