Why do I work in marble? The first reason is that I love it. The texture, the translucence, the way it carves and makes velvet dust when cut - everything about it is beautiful. It is made from the compressed remains of countless living things, the skeletal ghosts of ocean floors turned to stone. There is something timeless about it, and its properties become transcendent when it is sculpted; becoming ageless expressions of a particular time and place. We have all seen the statuary and architectural ornaments of past generations. The Greeks, the Romans, renaissance Europe, and the Far East, all live on through the exceptional works of artistry that their masters rendered in stone.

This brings me to the second reason I love this material: it is permanent. That's part of why it appealed to classical societies. It showed the world that something had been built to last. This is less persuasive to us now, since our culture is one of transience and change. How well and how fast an individual can move and change has become a statement in itself. The things we make are meant to fulfill a function with little thought to legacy in a concrete way. Art has become more and more perforative, digital, and ephemeral. I find a lot of this work interesting, and certainly don’t object to these movements and forms of expression. However, there is something satisfying about artwork that says “I am here, and I will remain.” It becomes a statement of its own, part of the aesthetic of an individual or entity.

Stone sculpture is heavy, hard to transport, and awkward to handle, but is that a disadvantage or the entire point? To include marble work in one’s space brings a seriousness and intentionality with it. It invites the viewer to explore something that does not move and does not change. It takes internal experiences and solidifies them in space and time. Perhaps this is so powerful for me personally because I have lived a complex and transitory life. I have moved often, been through many experiences, and manifested many iterations of who I am as a person. Permanence and a profound personal expression are aspects of life I seek. I invite you to go on this journey with me, as I search for lasting beauty, truth, and expression, in the marble that I shape. Thanks for being here.