I am fascinated by methods of material creation. This inspiration draws on the way honeybees secrete wax from their abdomen to construct a colony, the way limestone and marble form through extreme heat and compression of dead sea life over millions of years, and how these materials can transform again, from solid to liquid to crystalline. I use these materials and processes of creation and apply them to a fine art context. Through the use of beeswax, I question the value of labor and commodity while exploring the relationship of natural and man-made social hierarchies. The use of calcium carbonate, created through dissolving marble and oyster shells with sulfuric acid, draws on the processes of geology, alchemy, time and change. The object of the frame recalls an era of ornate decadence, when man was intent on defining ideal beauty. My work combines naturally occurring systems with a reflection on a gilded age of human aesthetic.
