DESIDERATUM
Desideratum, a seminal work in this series, takes its title from the Latin term meaning “something that is needed or wanted”—a phrase that resonates deeply with the human impulse to preserve, to hold onto what is fleeting. Created from gut, an internal membrane, the work draws upon the material’s visceral association with the body to explore cycles of transition in both human and natural systems.
Themes of permanence and impermanence, structure and dissolution, growth and decay are embedded in its delicate, almost translucent form. Reflecting the cyclical nature of life, Desideratum, Swell, Late Bloomer, and Flush, become a meditation on time, loss, and renewal—a quiet but urgent reflection on what we yearn to retain even as it slips away. In giving shape to the ephemeral, these works capture the tension between desire and impermanence, transforming a fragile material into something enduringly evocative.
Steel, gut, silver.
38" x 4" x 2"
Desideratum, 1997
Steel, gut, 18kt gold, thread.
30” x 2” x 1”
Flush, 2004
Steel support: 3.5’
Removable neckpiece: Gut, Silver.
14” x 3”
Late Bloomer, 2000
Copper, enamel, seeds, cable.
36” x 4” x 3”
Periodicity, 1999
Plastic rope, seaweed, Keurig coffee pods Found on the Gulf Islands, BC
Spire, 2002
Continuation, 2002
Sterling silver, copper, paint, enamel
28” x 4.5” x 3”
Moment, 2001
Steel, gut, thread, beads.
18” x 3” x 1”
Electroformed copper, enamel, sterling silver.
32" x 4" x 4"
Milkpod, 2002
Gut, steel, seeds, thread, beads.
20” x 1” x 2” approx.
Swell, 2005
Mingle, 2005
Sterling silver, gut, hair, bee, fingernails.
4” x 2.5” x 1”
Primula, 2005
Sterling silver, gut, paper, petals.
4.5” x 3” x 1”
Cambium, 2005
18kt gold, steel.
36” x 2” x 1.5”
Combdrip, 2006
Sterling silver, enamel.
30” x 3.75” x 6”
Observations of these cycles informed material shifts and physical alterations, infusing the work with a sense of emotional urgency tied to the entropic process. The tension between stability and change became a focal point, inviting reflection on the passage of time, loss, and renewal. In this way, the work functioned as both a meditation on time and a record of fleeting moments made tangible.