Some of my earliest creations were sculptures. As a young child, I liked to reproduce everyday objects with modeling clay. My mother was fascinated by this, and challenged me to make things that came to her mind, then marvel at my ability to do it. Though painting and printmaking later became my focus, assemblage now has brought me full cycle to exploring the three-dimensional again. Assemblage is much like collage, except the image has depth.
Most assemblage artists find objects to construct their work. Joseph Cornell, a well-known 20th Century assemblage artist, used both two- and three-dimensional found objects, including photographs, to create his surrealist sculptures. I don’t have to go far to find materials for my works. My trial proofs and other unused prints make great materials. I also credit my fascination with electronics with inspiring my materials. Though I rarely use actual computer hardware, much of my assemblage work is influenced by it. Software Hardware was one of my first such creations. When I created the piece, we were remodeling our kitchen and I saw the carpenter's collection of nails for his nail gun. I viewed them as potential art materials and the carpenter, seeing my fascination, offered to share them with me. Combining those items with computer software resulted in my first tech-influenced assemblage, Software Hardware. My second piece was Jewel Box Book, which remains one of my favorites.
Take a look at my Assemblage collection.