The series of carvings, Burrows, are a response to my investigations of Ozark Plateau trace fossils. These fossils capture the prehistoric movements of creatures as they dug for sustenance along the ocean floor. Their overlapping pathways create an unintentional beauty that suggests something botanical. They taught me that motion can be physical substance.
My process involves multiple tools typically used for industrial purposes to create organic movements. To achieve this, I carve into the backside of transparent acrylic blocks, creating negative reliefs. This method isn't simply an attempt at illusory forms, but rather, it is a record of movements which, by process, remain visible. Negative space hollowed-out on one end becomes a positive form on the other. In these works, I suggest qualities of biological morphologies without being directly referential. Each Burrow allows me to use carved movement to address formal concerns while paying homage to fossilized motions of eons past.
