The ginkgo tree is considered a living fossil because of its resilience, its ability to grow all over the world and as a symbol of longevity. We often find the ginkgo leaf referenced in art, seen as early as 11th century Chinese Sung Dynasty and predominantly used during the Art Nouveau Movement. Enduring & Enduring II draw upon aspects of the Decorative Arts, Optical Art and Post-Minimalism to create a contemporary three-dimensional wallpaper informed by associations of interior/exterior, manmade/nature, light, air and time. 

Ginkgo leaves are significant in their reference to memory and concentration. The process of making the leaves is important to understanding the overall communication of my idea.   Plaster molds of real ginkgo leaves were made from two different locations that I have spent significant time in. I began making the white pieces during my time at the International Ceramic Studio in Kecskemet, Hungary and continued making colored pieces in Oshkosh, WI. Thin porcelain leaves resulted; a mirror image of the ephemeral found object, fired and made permanent.  The more the molds were used, the less detail each ceramic piece would have.  The whites are translucent and as the color moves towards black the translucency disappears and the piece becomes opaque. Each leaf is hung on the end of a straight pin that is inserted into the wall so that the shadow of each leaf would appear on the wall and respond to the changing of natural light.  The delicate leaves move with the passing of a person, a gentle breeze, or someone blowing on it and sometimes you hear the pleasant ringing sound of the porcelain pieces as they move.  The temporal shadows, abstractions of the actual objects, become the subtlety ever-changing “wallpaper.”