Erica Kempler
Artist Statement
Using found objects and organic life as a basis of inspiration, my artwork incorporates observations and elements of nature, from floral forms to bizarre seedpods. Hybrid art-works made from porcelain ceramics, commonplace objects, and prefabricated materials transform the familiar into imitations of exotic botanical life forms. An installation format allows my work to reassemble shapes, attributes, qualities, and quantities on a much larger scale suggesting an essential connection to our physical space. Bringing attention to the natural cycles of change that remain untouched by human life and exist in nature around us creates an increased awareness of our environment through an abundance of nature.
My current body of work explores and investigates the power of nature from one’s environment. Nature’s constant presence, through a multitude of geographical formations, changing atmospheric conditions, continual renewal and growth of vegetation, and numerous species is a subtle reminder of the beauty and harmony that co-exist within our environment. Rooting my aesthetics in keen observations of form and design in nature, this work aspires to instill curiosity about our natural world and portray organic forms as transformed objects that once lived in nature. One can only observe the subtle details in each porcelain piece through intense investigation, thus furthering the curiosity I desire to evoke in the viewer.
Through interaction with specific environments, observations are made about how nature interacts, adapts, and evolves around structures that have been placed within it. The translation and transformation of these personal experiences into an installation of mixed media work, creates an atmosphere of inquiry and investigation.