The residue of materials and the evidence of use embedded in how objects are constructed both intentionally and less so, represent my current position on the act of sculpture. Whether, bought, machine or hand made, fabricated by a “professional” within a certain craft, this dialogue begins a conversation about positions, economies and ultimately culture. For me, it is the juxtaposition of materials; modes of fabrication and function are what charge an object with potential that isn't fixed and always in relation to the maker, the user and viewer. It is especially charged when all of these positions are encapsulated in one person, making the object semi- autobiographical.

I am invested in the affects of time and duration on a material in a physical sense as intentional. I use raw materials, wood, paper, metal and at times industrial material such as plastic, all of which have specific cultural and sociopolitical history. In addition to how the materials are constructed or in some cases “found”, I am invested in how time, duration and daily engagement over a period of time help shape, define and determined a “finish”; expanding the history of an object beyond the capitalist model, the exhibition space of the “showroom” or store platform.

It is an experiment in personal authorship and self-portraiture, mixing the intentional with the less so, pushing the autobiography, a subjectivity, the eccentric individual to the surface of the object, quite literally. I pull inspiration from my immediate environment and daily experiences. I am interested in expanding the vocabulary of materials and installation, to include principles of archaeology, the poetic's of space, the politics of space in civic spaces, and the autonomy implicit in defining, creating and utilizing “personal” space. This is for me a political gesture. 

The product driven culture we are surrounded by or marketed to, create a distance between the actual producer and the user. I am compelled by this distance as a rich space to work from.

carlos@cesdl.com