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                                                                        Jennyfer Stratman

Transforming my experience and interpretation of the world into the visual language of sculpture is what inspires me to create. I aim to construct artwork rich with emotion, content and form.  While the starting point for each piece is a personal narrative, my work addresses ideas and experiences shared collectively. I find my work is now evolving as if pages of a diary. Subconsciously a sense of my identity is deeply affected by environment, which comes through in my sculpture.  

My most recent work has explored feelings of being “uprooted” and “transplanted”.  Trees and landscapes combined with figures have provided an inspirational metaphor for these ideas.  The subject stems from my experience of migrating to Australia from the USA and now dividing my time between the two countries.  

The exploration of the universal interrelationship of all things has long been fascination of mine. The commonality of forms in nature is endless and illustrates the basic structures for which the universe is based. Over time I have combine natural and archetypical forms with the body. Whether whole or dissected, the body is used both as a connection and a metaphor to analyze specific ideas.  Legs, for example, may represent a journey; arms extended as if reaching for something.  Botanical forms may allude to sexual anatomy, spheres may be interpreted as atoms or planets, tree trunks mutate into figures as if foliage.  Through association of form this universal interconnection is reinforced.

I use a range of materials to express my ideas. My primary medium of choice is cast or fabricated metal. The coldness of the metal is transformed by rust or chemical patina giving it an earthy quality. The metal is often combined with wood or stone, which further adds a sense of life and place.

My working style unfolds in methodical, yet inventive and intuitive ways. Self-reflection is a strong element in my work, though not always apparent to me until retrospective examination. However internalized the work is, it speaks broadly to the human experience. Contemporary migration trends, whether international or interstate, incite a sense of memory and affection for one’s homeland. These ideas combined with an examination of the interconnectedness of all things drive me to create.

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