Artist's Statement

We relate to sculpture through the physical experience of sharing common space. The story told by a sculpture can be open or mysterious. It can allude to the passages of our lives; how we strive, how we struggle, how we manage to transcend and find connection.

This process of unfolding informs art making as well. My own path began as a ceramic artist who grew to appreciate the durability and gravity defying capabilities of metal. Along the way my figurative origins have diversified to include steel imagery and mixed media. From working alone, the breadth and perspective gained through collaboration with other artists has illuminated new possibilities.

Whenever possible the interdependence between what is to be made and where it will stand combine to suggest specific perimeters for design. However, much of the fun in art making is found in the attempt to tease out and frame an essential communication. For humanity is built on and supported by stories. Through sculpture these narratives gain a physical presence, with shadings and emphasis independent of language.

Ellen Tykeson