Works on Paper

I explore themes of impermanence and transformation by capturing on paper the interactions between metals, weak acids, and time. To do this, I corrode found steel and copper directly onto paper using combinations of salt, hydrogen peroxide and water. With each printing, iron and copper are transferred into the fibers of the paper. Eventually the metal used to create the prints will disintegrate.

The image emerges over days and weeks, with gravity, humidity, and rate of evaporation defining the colors and textures. They are impossible to predict, and impossible to replicate. The moisture-absorbing quality of salt means the works are never finished. Despite being treated with fixative, the salt and paper continue to absorb and release water from the air, resulting in a surface that changes over time.

Series descriptions at right; selected works below.

Experiments with street sweeper bristles, washers, a railroad tie plate (!) and other discarded metal collected from the street. The variations in color and texture that can be accomplished with such humble materials is extraordinary.
This series is inspired by NASA's Hubble Ultra Deep Field capture—which until 2023, was the deepest image of the universe ever taken. It has been used to search for galaxies that existed between 400 and 800 million years after the Big Bang.
The works in this series combine corrosion printing, sculpture and the motif of a saltbox house to explore personal history.
I’ve always been a builder. As a kid I spent countless hours assembling plastic models, folding origami animals and designing my own paper sculptures. I loved the engineering and problem solving involved in creating a three-dimensional from sheets of paper.