Artist Statement:
As an infant I was placed in a hollow on the side of a hill under an old oak tree. The smells of the freshly dug earth, the sun dappling on my face, and the gentle rocking of the tree were my companions. Wind gusts rustled my hair, and leaves visited me while I gazed up and waved my arms in celebration. Acorns and bugs watched while the grasses danced and whispered me to sleep, leaving me kin to nature. This experience is expressed in my work through natural found objects and representational forms.
One afternoon, when I was twelve, I watched from my window as my neighbor welded. The arc of sparks was never-ending, beautiful, and mesmerizing. No matter how hard I tried I could not see his project through the bursts of light. I had no idea those bright flashes were permanently burning small holes in the backs of my eyes. Instead of a tragedy, it was an unexpected gift which left me with companion spots that live where I look. These multiple void shapes appear in my work through texture, repeated forms, piercings, and movement.
My current work reflects the ritual of disassembling the strata of these remembered events. I break them into the relevant pieces then like an offering, I add metalwork to honor their distinct beauty. This work speaks to the peace and solace of nature. They are a reflection of self through the lens of my life experiences. I am fascinated by the poetry of shadows, those voids left by encroaching lichen, crisscrossing tree branches, and the evidence of time.
Artist Bio:
Lisa Hamilton (b. Orange, California) uses her practice to examine the pull of the natural world. Through movement, texture, weight, she explores nature’s relation to the fragile yet resilient landscape of the body. Like an offering, she creates pieces that allow the personality of every natural object define its use. The ritual of wearing her work may be all that is needed to recreate the connection to the natural world she first experienced as a child. Her work has been exhibited Internationally and Nationally including The Santa Reparata International School of the Arts, Florence, Italy; Precious Collective, United Kingdom; Las Laguna Gallery, Laguna Beach, California; Agora Gallery, New York, New York; The Foundry Art Centre, Saint Charles, Missouri; Bluestem Missouri Crafts Gallery, Columbia, Missouri; Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, Little Rock, Arkansas; The Octagon Center for the Arts, Ames, Iowa; IncuArts Gallery, Honolulu, Hawaii, and others. She received her BFA in Metalsmithing/Jewelry with a minor in Art History from Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri, and her MFA with Honors in Metalsmithing/Jewelry at University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. Lisa currently teaches Metalsmithing and Jewelry classes at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas.
