STATEMENT
I interpret the rhythms, shapes and movements found in nature, without
directly representing easily recognizable objects or scenes. Each painting
and sculpture embodies a powerful physical presence and spirit which
evolves over time from the process of manual labor and working the metal
intuitively. These sculptures and paintings grew out of my interest
in African art and ritual scarification, where the skin is pierced to
create patterns of raised scars are created on the body to signify rites
of passage. I am challenged by the ambiguity of metal—turning
flat, hard, industrial material into organic forms that seem to shift
and move as they reflect light.
I use welding tools as one would use
traditional art tools—seeking
to “draw” with the mig welder,
“erase” with an angle grinder, and “cut out shapes” with
the 10,000-degree plasma torch. I seek to invent interesting textures
and imply organic life in the industrial material. Layers of colored
patinas bring the aesthetics of painting to sculpture. The shifting
dark and light shapes and added color evoke feelings and invite an
emotional response from the viewer.
The process of developing a piece of art is analogous to the process
of ritual scarification, and the process of life itself—in
spite of our original plans, all require sacrifice, pain and loss
in order to create something more beautiful, with a more intensely
developed character. For me, part of the appeal of the process is
the extreme amount of deconstruction—cutting up and taking
apart—that is necessary before the work can be re-ordered as
a unified organic presence.
Photograph by Brian Klein, Klein Photographic
© 2001–2016 Joan Waters. All rights reserved.