DRAWING MACHINE III

Previously on display in Dekalb Gallery at Pratt Institute April 18th - May 8th, 2022.

The Drawing Machine III embodies my struggle in balancing artistic control with the creative possibilities inherent in tolerating unpredictable outcomes. I am the creator, yet I remain outside the realm of ultimate control. In this way, I defy my perfectionism. The Machine requires a level of precision in order to function. Gears must mesh. Kinetic mechanisms must glide without seizing. Yet the machine is imperfect. It creaks. It wobbles. It requires visible clamps to exert pressure on elements prone to movement. It has ceased to function countless times, requiring intervention. 

The Machine is a manifestation of the conflicts that pervade my interior world. My brain often fails me. Synapses lose connection. The amygdala becomes inundated. The hippocampus falls dormant. Disorder sets in. As in my constructed machine, my mind requires assistance to remain functioning and restore equilibrium. Uncertainty abounds, as nothing is guaranteed.

The Drawing Machine III continues to evolve my artistic practice. It presents me with technical challenges that parallel my personal vulnerabilities. I have come to trust that the process will be useful, regardless of the outcome. 

{New Video coming 2025}