Hazel Groves

Artist Statement:

I have always found my life to be a cycle of repetition. As I move forward, everything seems to inevitably return to what it once was. I take inspiration from the events of my childhood, instances now obscured by the fog of time. Using the vessels of ceramic and fiber, I show the rolling hills and endless lakes of my home of Northern Michigan. We are a reflection of all that surrounds us, from a pebble on the shore to the expanding abyss of a black hole. My work is reminiscent of the feeling of looking at a landscape covered by mist, a suggestion of what lies ahead. An environment can be anything from the expanse of the universe to the comfort of my childhood bedroom, visual elements I consistently draw on throughout the process of creation. Through my work, I capture my shifting views on past events using physical distortion and alteration. Each piece I make grows into itself through the process of construction. I believe that even inanimate objects live a life, holding the memories of their creator. I distort the way in which a story is told, unraveling or erasing previously created elements. During the process of making a piece, I regularly deconstruct and reconstruct it, allowing it to change in form over the progression of time. My work is dependent on the use of highly tactile mediums, things that can be physically distorted through kinetic interactivity. Using something that can physically be touched for me is a way for people who do not know me to connect with my work. Each piece begins as something tangible, something known, but over time, it shifts into a new form. Material choices have remained as a way for me to dictate the meaning of a piece, and the layers in which these materials form together are dependent on what internal perspectives I wish to show.