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About The Work
I work with porcelain, wood,
fabric, and anything else that inspires me
to bring my characters into being. I start by
forming the porcelain with my hands, letting the
clay guide me to uncover the personality that is in
the making. I am most inspired by the element of surprise that emerges.
I feel I am in a kind of collaboration with raw materials and time.
Working with porcelain for the past 36 years, I continue the process
of discovering human expression. I love to see who I am going to meet
next as I form the head of a new piece and finish with the eyes
which look right back at me.
Recently, I've discovered that I want to make hats for people.
One night last fall, I dreamed about making hats. When I went
to my studio the next day, I made some hats that i saw in my
dream and they fit perfectly! I suppose I knew how to do that
as a result of spending all these years building the human
head out of clay.
I work with wood; I gather wood that is standing dry in the forest.
or found upstream from a beaver dam that has let loose in the high
water of springtime. I make ladders. They symbolize, for me, that
we need to get to a higher place if we are to be good stewards for
this earth. I make ladder back chairs that you can't really sit
upon, but are there, made out of branches I find, to invite one
to be part of nature; come and sit with the part of nature that
resides within. This tree, this chair, this person, this life;
we are all part of nature.
Lately I've been making a collection of 'fools'. I call them 'the book
of fools'. These characters are made of porcelain, wood, fabric,
and wire. Working with silks and cherry coloured twist, I make
clothes for the fools that are fit for a king! In recent years,
with the world being in such a , seemingly, constant turmoil,
I think we need to consult with 'the fool' and ask his or her
advise because there does not seem to be a lot of sound action
we are getting from our, so called, world leaders. Also, these
fools I've been making; they are friendly companions. They ask
nothing of us. With making them, my desire is to bring a
little spring to your step as you move through your day.
I must take my leave from this musing on my work; Tomorrow is
another day exploring what comes next in this amazing life.
Goodnight, muse.
mona adisa brooks
2007 |