Shift
November 2015
Artist: Margie Criner
Artist statement:
I remember spending time in my father’s wood shop in the basement of our house, just outside Detroit. At about six years old, I snuck downstairs and made a walkie talkie out of a block of pine, a nail, and paint. It was my first unsupervised attempt at using my father’s tools. I remember feeling nervous, but that was overridden by my desire to use my imagination to build something three dimensional, that was functional as a toy, on my own.
My art is rooted in design mixed with play. Through my work I reexamine perspectives, with an appreciation of the interconnectedness of all things living. With a background in textile design, graphic design, and wood working, my art combines a variety of materials. I create sculpture within sculpture, inviting the viewer to engage his or her own curiosity as conventional expectations are reshaped, distorted, or sometimes ignored.
When I complete a work, I often gain a better understanding regarding some aspect of myself and the world around me. The finished piece becomes my teacher, as themes revolve around childhood vacations, lessons learned from my father, and survival following my mother’s death. Parts of me I was unaware of suddenly become apparent. Subconscious doctrines enter consciousness as each piece gains a voice of its own.