Artist’s Statment
Following the souvenir tradition of Native American tribes along the U.S./Canadian border, Brick Whimsy #1 and #2 pay homage to the whimsy tradition that combines beadwork with non-utilitarian design in early methods of souvenir manufacturing at the turn of the 20th century. Characterized by domestic shapes adorned with decorative beadwork on soft, sculptural elements, Native American whimsies were handmade keepsakes sold in tourist shops that transformed scraps of cloth into small, talisman-like ornaments. In thinking about this transformation of raw material into magical items, Brick Whimsy #1 and #2 utilize found earthen materials (discarded brick remnants, pieces of Maine slate) as the base on which to build design-centric totems. Elements that once existed in the dirt are now presented upright in a gallery accompanied by adornments of copper and silver.
