/PIVOT & FLOW

Jessica Sadlier

Material Needs 2022

September 8 - October 9, 2022

materials funded: metal stock, butane torch, soldering tools, jeweler’s saw, textiles

/STATEMENT

When I start work on a new piece of art, I usually have an idea of what the finished product will be like, but since I incorporate a lot of found or repurposed materials in my work, I find that I need to adjust my vision as I work. Rather than trying to fight whatever conditions arise, I PIVOT & FLOW in a new direction. This body of work exemplifies that process and also incorporates my interpretation of these two words both physically and conceptually.

My inspiration for this project came from aerial photos of rivers formed from melting glaciers and agricultural plots formed via central pivot sprinkler systems. These two topographies are very different in form but both are the result of manipulation of the landscape. When I work with a medium or material, I explore its intrinsic properties and then try to manipulate it to behave in ways that it is not inclined to behave. I have been working mostly with textiles and fibers but have become intrigued by the materials and techniques of metalsmithing and jewelry-making, and how metals might be used in conjunction with my current repertoire of "soft" materials. By juxtaposing hard and soft, I try to create compositions that behave unexpectedly. I craft fluid forms from metal and constrain loose fibers and textiles into rigid shapes.