Dike Blair

Like a lot of studio artists, I spend time sorting and shuffling existing works, separating keepers from stinkers in order to make room for the new. This sculpture, a seagull suddenly submerges, is several years old, and I recently decided that it's a keeper but in need of some tweaking. I've enlarged and color- adjusted the photo on the wall fixture and replaced old electrical cords with ones of a heavier gauge. I approached making the piece with the desire for a compression of atmospheres, design motifs, and memories of the sea. I've found that my materials of choice—fluorescent light fixtures, carpet, photo duratrans, built forms—are extremely flexible and can accommodate whatever person, place, or thing may be occupying my emotions and thoughts at any given time.