
For me, art must balance two elements, form and content. While much of contemporary art today uses modern techniques of fabrication including 3D scanning and printing, in my practice, I embrace hand-craftsmanship. Design, material and technique combine to achieve a well-crafted form that best embodies the second element, content. My current body of work, entitled Birdbrains, arose from my reflections on themes of safety, patriotism and economic and physical security, all issues that have become prevalent in American society since September 11, 2001 and its subsequent events. Rather than offer answers, I reflect back situations to provoke questions about our responses to the terrorist attacks on our country. The forms were cast in bronze and aluminum from hand-carved basswood originals. The bright patinas seen on many of the birds reflect our society's sunny optimism, more than occasional superficiality and willingness to avoid the sometimes painful realities of our present world. The irony or humor present in the work provides a necessary balance to the serious subject matter, and is reflected in the title, which raises questions about the effectiveness of our responses. Multiples allow me to represent the larger society made up of individuals and depict trends and patterns (behavioral or otherwise) visually.
As a physician, I valued the connections that I made with my patients. As an artist, I have found that art creates an ongoing multidimensional dialogue between the viewer and me, which is a more interactive bond than I enjoyed with my patients.