Content and Form

“Content flies on the wings of Form.”

~Sharon Grace
(one of my many inspiring art professors from the San Francisco Art Institute Graduate Program.)

Sharon provided a definitive moment for me. I already mastered the material world; literally, since I owned a successful small clothing design company called moreTrees. I knew materials inside and out; the fibers, the dye, fabric art, pattern-making, sewing and fine detailing. In fact, I was sick of material.

I moved away from the fabric and started focusing on design, which I loved. But I needed to go deeper. I needed time for introspection to really access the greater ideas of my potential. During this time, I went to grad school for my masters in fine art, and worked with Sharon there. She caught me during my “Content” phase. I had gone deep into the recesses of my idea-making machine, and was spitting out ideas in a process reminiscent of Yoko Ono’s “idea art.” The closest I’d touch Form was with a 10-foot pole, meaning, virtually. I generated digital art and, slowly, moved towards video art and street intervention as well. A good exploration, but still — so ephemeral!

I needed to develop a concise system to manifest these ideas into a more solid form. Sharon inspired this process with her constant reminder that “Content flies on the wings of Form.” Both Content and Form need foundation built skillfully enough to deliver a truly meaningful message.

I developed an art practice founded on daily research, journalling, sketching, designing, and drawing/painting. This allowed me to continually deepen my ideas while developing my skill in their physical implementation.

I dove in, relinquishing the fabric of my past to explore paint, canvas, installation, and eventually landed on graphite and various paints on vellum. I reside in this place now, and though I know more medium await me down the line, I will hone my skills in this one until I feel complete.