Jamie Harper

Artist Statement

I am a person with a lot of things to do, and I also feel deeply. I find myself seeking out small pockets of time to bear whatever new bit of information I receive on a nearly constant basis. These moments sometimes crush me, and grief takes over for a prolonged period. Other times, I take the new, nearly unbearable information in stride and need only a moment to compose myself, convinced I will find time later to deal with the buried consequences within.

These chairs are a storable place to contend with my stream of grief, for however long I need them. They came from a ward house, where I can assume they held the grief of many others when they were needed. I chose to recover them in small allegories of nature, which, like a poem or a painting, could be interpreted in so many different ways—depending on the sitter, depending on the day, or what they are needing to sort out.

These chairs may offer a moment of support to those who use them.