Dancing in Thin Places began as a reaction to a personal emotional state. The early Celtics believed that there were actual locations where the substance of the world as we know it became so thin that if one stood in that place you could get a sense of the supernatural. In this collection I record not the “places” as much as moments experienced where I have felt this “thinning”. Where I take this concept considers these times in our lives where, if we are paying attention, we may experience something that trandscends our normal sensibility, something divine. Although for the early Celts this inspirational state was inspired by the beauty of nature, for me thin places come in the form of conversations with friends and family or times of deep contemplation. The whole collection reflects different stages in my personal as well as artistic journey.

Symbolism

In the creation of this collection a variety of symbolic cues emerged in the process. Further into it these began to solidify into these four:

The Grid

Structure and restriction. The grid depicts the things that bind us to the world and create both the framework in which we inhabit in our culture as well as a sometimes restrictive force that holds us back. What does it hold us back from? What is on the other side? For me our truest selves as well as a connection with a divine creator. The lines in the grid also depict masculinity. This in concert with the curved lines of the figures symbolizes a dialogue between masculine and feminine.

Curved Lines

Sensuality. In all of the collection starting with the pivotal work titled Dancing in Thin Places, everything that is depicted outside the grid is done exclusively with curved lines. It wasn’t until I was well into the creation of Motherhood’s Journey that I realized this. Part of my artistic journey was happening at a subconscious level with my main characters exercising their femininity without being trapped in the grid. This use of the curved line amplifies the sensuousness nature of the female existence in the outlines of the landscapes and the illusions of the female form.

The Spiral

Perfection, beauty, holiness. I have always been attracted to what I have affectionately called “the swirly”, and have used it over the years in my metalsmithing and other design work. Learning of the Fabonacci spiral gave me definition to what I unknowingly used symbolically in my work representing all things beautiful, perfect, or holy.

Portals

Possibility and hope. I have a fondness for windows and doors because of what they represent in an otherwise confining space. In this collection the portals represent access to something transcendent or the gaining of something that transcends us.