kristen tripp

Exhibition Statement

 

Everyone has certain common factors in their life. Growth, health and death are chief factors that are always present throughout time. Life is really about having conversations with these factors, trying to relate to their impact on our current situation and making choices that will have an impact on our own life along with those around us. Our conversations, choices, and consequences relate to our thoughts about growth, health, and death. LIFE.

 

Working with clay and steel visually show these conversations. Clay is very forgiving and you can make a variety of notations. You can make a mark and rub most of it out, leaving just a trace of it behind or you can gouge the clay and leave it as it screams.

 

Time and various experiences change these materials. Time hardens clay and changes the color. The experience of heat during a kiln ring changes clay making the change permanent. Steel is the same; you can grind into the steel, rust it, heat it up and change the color. Over time, the steel is naturally exposed to natural elements and change, sometimes weakening or you can converse with the material and change it prematurely.

Using these materials, I have conversations about life; think about choices and how these choices may aect our health, growth and/or death. I think about consequences, time, and memories. I allow the materials and forms to speak back and carry the conversation further…..