A Life in Depression and Anxiety
The studio has always been a place where I go to keep myself active during my worst times. Metal fabrication is a cathartic activity for me, as it offers a task that keeps me physically distracted from my problems. This is reflective of my blue- collar heritage. Within working class society, particularly the fields of manual and industrial labor, mental illness is not afforded any sympathy and we are taught to simply work harder and ignore the pain. This has been my learned mentality. Through the skills and techniques of industrial craft and a shared ability to read body language in the human form, I attempt to create objects that speak for me. By exposing the vulnerability of mental illness in materials often associated with strength and permanence such as steel, iron, and wood, the seriousness and permanence of these illnesses is made clear.
