Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.

I was born and raised in Baltimore. I currently live in Chicago and I’m finishing up my BFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Your work seems to emulate something organic that’s hard to pinpoint. Is there specific reference material you use or things you think about?

I definitely try to make my work hard to pinpoint. I consciously try to avoid including references or forms that allude to existing objects or media. I am heavily influenced by industrial design practices and the considerations that go into designing for production. I am interested in the ways in which an object is produced can be reflected in a final product.

How do you see your work evolving in parallel to things that are going on around you right now?

I think one of the biggest struggles that a lot of artists face currently is the fact that everything happens online now, and everyone needs to be marketing themselves constantly to stay relevant.

Materiality seems to be essential to your process. How do you distinguish what might work best for what you want to do?

I don’t like to use a lot of color and pigmentation in my work. I find that I draw a lot of inspiration for material and surface treatment from objects that I encounter every day. My goal is always strike a balance between form, materiality and color so that none of these aspects draw too much attention to themselves.

Do you find yourself to experiment and play more in the studio or do things happen in a more calculated way?

I am always experimenting in the studio. I try to use the fact that I don’t know everything about the materials that I’m using to my advantage as I feel that if I learn too much about what I’m making, I would be less willing to take the risks that I want to take.

What are some recent, upcoming, or current projects you are working on?

Recently, I’ve been working mostly in ceramics. I’m working a lot with multiples and I’ve been trying to make as many objects as possible.

How has your work evolved over time?

My work has definitely gotten less representational over time.

What was the last show you saw that stuck out to you?

Nöle Giulini’s solo show Wholly at Hans Goodrich.

Is there any aspect of collaboration involved in the production of
your work?

My practice is pretty solitary for the most part. I do find it’s important for me to talk through my intentions for new projects with others just to make sure what I want to do is actually feasible.

What are you really excited about right now?

I’m always excited when I am able to get my hands on materials that I haven’t worked with before. I recently bought a pretty large cube of graphite and I am really excited to carve it.

In regards to your making, what is something that you’ve always wanted to do and are working towards achieving?

I’ve always wanted to design my own hardware and mounting systems for my sculptures.

 

Interview conducted and edited by Liam Owings