Patricia Keller

Artist Statement

What began as a simple figurative sculpture exploring the anatomy of my own leg, the project began to develop its own narrative through a gamut of experiences –breakages, firings, and situational placements in the outdoors. As a meta-awareness became apparent, I began to explore the makings of a self-portrait.

Searching for a Place of Belonging is the series in which I use common, accessible natural materials placed with ceramic objects to explore identity and belonging.  This installation is reminiscent of a triptych; the symbolic use of sand, vegetation, and common surface clay each represent the three most common outdoor spaces I interact with on a very personal, intentional, ritualistic level.  Running, cycling, or swimming through, on, alongside, or in these landscapes--beaches, agricultural fields, tract home neighborhoods--keep me connected to my immediate environments as well as my introspective self.  

The culmination of this installation is an extension of my exploration of how process and materiality to discover metaphor creates a meaningful body of work.

Website:  patriciakellerart.weebly.com