perle cotton on tulle, stoneware

​

This project lies at the heart of my academic and personal interests; the interplay between religion and the visual arts. It is process-driven, focused on ritualized art objects. The chalice, paten (bread dish), and liturgical banner serve as sites for exploration of my own meditative art practices. Engaging in the repetitive processes of hand-rolling coils of clay and stitching French knots gave me a tactile way to reflect on the dialectical tensions at work in my faith as an ELCA Lutheran. Sacralized/desecrated, immanence/transcendence, presence/absence, looking at/looking through…these are only some of tensions that concern my work. Set against the backdrop of current barriers to celebrating communal rituals in the physical presence of others, this work raises more questions than it answers. EAT THIS BREAD, DRINK THIS CUP. What happens when we cannot fulfill this imperative together?