My work has always teetered on edges, balanced incongruous objects, or been held in check by taut threads.  On one level, it is about vulnerability, individual and collective. Situations sit on edges, beings hover on the precipice of non-being, architecture falls through in search of a more possible place. But it also has to do with unexpected strength found in fragility and the insistence of the imagination in creating intrigue over chaos. Sometimes there is humor in urgency, beauty in bleakness, and a compelling attraction to contradiction. I often use my work to sort through obstacles and anxieties in my own life, and by extension, situations in the world. This process can lead to unexpected transformations. The imagery often pits consciously constructed form against organic form, culture vs. nature, waking life vs. dream life. In these worlds, wonder and fear coexist and are often intertwined. We must be willing to walk toward both.

My recent show, Teetering, (Howard Yezerski, 2022) focused on the human figure gracefully balancing on perilous perches. What elegant, strong, and creative beings we humans are, and yet we get ourselves stuck in untenable situations of our own making. And now, we truly find ourselves teetering on the brink. Whether these beings are chased into isolation by a pandemic, extreme weather, the loss of their environment, or fear of things to come, they are stuck for the time being, until they can invent a way out, down, or beyond.