What does it mean to be eccentric? I am eccentric. I am odd and superfluous, full of abundance and perfectly off-balance. The four circles in this sculpture, Eccentricity, are a set of eccentric circles--circles that do not share the same center of balance, but are contained in one larger circle. From a distance, I may appear simple, still, and quiet; yet a closer, inquiring eye will notice each circle's alternating rays. You may choose to stand closer, to share curious energy that will absorb and purify through copper conduits. This energy radiate through each circle, causing each to spin independently of the others. Does one circle spin alone, or does the force of one influnece the others? You may step away from Eccentricity with a feeling of wonder, but you may find solace in knowing that what you take away has left me feeling whole.
My practice reflects my approach to life: cultivating meaning with a combination of structure and fluidity, gleaning from each process the leftover bits that get misunderstood and tossed aside. My practice consists of bending solid structures into curved forms, reflecting the myriad ways in which I navigate life as a member of multiple marginalized groups. Sitting with a straight piece of wood, sometimes for several hours at a time, measuring and placing strategic cuts, each cut representative of having been cut-down - or negatively affected - by bias, Racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism and the trope of the 'angry Black woman'. Each of these calculated, repetitive cuts allows the wood to bend and thus represents the many forms in which the constant bias I face does not break me, but instead teaches me to maneuver life with more fluidity and grace.
The overarching themes of my work are challenging visual literacy and the shifting of structure. Structure can be literal, like something made of wood that is sound and stable, like a house. But structure can also be figurative and theoretical, like the intersectionality of racism and sexism. It is within those structures that the majority of our ideals - and the focus of my work - are embedded.