Statement

Forces of attraction...interdependencies...pieces that join together to create a greater whole--they're subjects I work with over and over, testing different ways to express it. My journey with modular art began with wanting to join small panels together to form polyptychs of interchangeable pieces that could be reconfigured according to a pattern. I eventually came up with a way to use neodymium magnets, which sparked a fascination with the subject of polarities and electricity. That lead to exploring the interactions of various elementary particles and molecules and the metaphors for human relationships they brought to mind.

Because the panels are so small, they remind me of wooden blocks meant for toddlers, giving the work a tactile, whimsical quality. The whimsy is reinforced with the cartoon-like graphic quality of the imagery. The magnets make a fun, satisfying sound when they snap together. In the end, my experience of working with modularity has been a dialogue with connections, and also with play.