Tiffany Schmierer: Aggregate Vision

I create intuitively assembled ceramic sculptures dense with pattern, imagery, and detail. Rather than editing down to minimalism, I embrace the intricacy of our visual culture. Formative practices of collecting and arranging, constructing from found materials, and filling the drawing page have consistently shaped my maximalist approach and aesthetic. I think of my sculptures as three-dimensional collages in which chains of ideas are layered to create a cohesive whole. I begin with an accumulative approach, piecing together forms and imagery and transforming these disparate parts into new visions. The resulting artworks are exploratory and capture life's layered experiences. The themes that weave through this exhibition are the interconnections we share with each other and with our complex environment, the accumulation of moments that shape and connect us, and the complexity and fragility of life. Taking a moment to appreciate these inner and outer ties fosters much-needed empathy and care for the complex, invisible web we are part of and that shapes us.