Elizabeth Michelman

 

 

Sculpture for me is not about “creating from scratch.” It is about recognizing and accepting things that already exist in the mind and in the world of objects and materials; finding new ways of putting them together and of making use of them. In this process the objects, materials, words and forms we often take for granted come alive to us and make us come alive to each other. 

 

Often, unbeknownst to me, an object stands for a feeling or an idea.  Likewise, an object or group of objects creates an energy about it that suggests a sense of place or personhood.  I may not have words to express these connections and correlations, but I find organizing objects in unexpected ways or moving them around in relation to an environment to be a way of thinking and communicating with others.  Art is a process of calling attention to specific things and relationships both outside us and inside us, a process of making or finding meaning.