Michelle Frazier

Artist Statement

ARTIST STATEMENT

Although this statement applies to my stone, it also applies to my paper pieces.


In my particular little corner, when I carve a face or figure into the stone, I seem to be acting out my self- consciousness onto the stone, a stone that holds some of the history of the world, formed of the very same original kind of material that I am formed of. I carve the stone into familiar forms, carrying with them an emotional charge; the forms are beautiful, the stone broken. The expressions of sadness, of reflection, are easy to read. I like to think that anyone, anywhere would recognize these forms, and the expressions.
There is a story told in every piece of stone, the unique characteristics of each stone inspires my vision for the sculptures which is a tangible product of my layered feminine perspective. Every piece reflects a part of who I am, bringing an element of truth to my work and challenges my identity and perception, imagination and impressions which are the fundamental elements that define me.
But the stone itself, that's something else. The loveliness, power and strength in the stone is the raw beauty of nature herself; I can more or less put a familiar shape onto it, then eyes can look in and see this inner beauty. What is this beauty? The shapes I impose on the stones are formal, the familiar shape of faces and bodies; graceful, strong, thoughtful, reflective and often solitary. There are no mysteries here, nothing particularly demanding. The grace, power and pleasure the natural world shows us is what drives the making of these pieces.