Studies In Clay

Artist Statement

With Studies In Clay, I sought to create an aesthetic link between physicality and time. I wanted to represent the body as a fluid entity, with images that emphasized the constant process of change and renewal we go through. I settled on using clay to represent this because it allowed the models a textile interaction, as well as giving the images a timeless quality. The selected shots are the result of collaboration between the models and myself. I contacted several dancers, a sculptor, another photographer and two live models and asked them to model in a studio setting. I explained to each model that I wanted to explore our sense of time, how we both mold ourselves and change unconsciously in a constant and physical way. They applied clay to their bodies and moved in ways that accentuated their awareness of it as it dried across their skin, making the model suddenly and intimately conscious of their physical presence during their performance in front of the camera. Once I gave the models the parameters of the performance, they were left as uninterrupted as possible to elaborate upon the concept and process on their own. Each one found a different emphasis, whether it was their desire to expand beyond the allotted space, understand the textural residence of their expressions, or approach the performance as a discovery or exploration of the moment.