E.J. Theriault

About E.J.

—— Sculpture

My work is a compilation of miniature moments and larger pieces that explore color, motion, texture and form. I enjoy working with found objects to give them new purpose when they go unseen and unappreciated. I am drawn to the art realm as it allows for new discoveries and possibilities – it is the ultimate freedom to express and create a world purely from imagination. Working with my hands is what brings me joy and I hope that the pieces I create provoke the same sort of feeling in the viewers. Although I enjoy all kinds of art, I gravitated towards sculpture because it is limitless and all encompassing. Sculpture allows me to experiment in woodworking, painting, drawing, building, and ceramics to name just a few. As someone who frequently bounces between using a diverse range of material, sculpture has become a way to harness my need for change and experimentation.


Working with random materials allows for limitless discoveries and possibilities and through handling objects I continually question their positioning and intent which evolves into an unforeseen puzzle.


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Artist’s Statement

My sculptures invoke magic into ordinary objects and waste that are usually disregarded and unappreciated. I choose objects gathered from my surroundings as a way of supporting a sustainable artistic practice. I see my pieces as their own beings with personality and spunk, as the materials transcend their intended design and mold into creature-like forms that harness playful imagination. They are explosive and curious.

I begin my process by breaking, disassembling and altering my collection of objects. The simple, hidden qualities of miscellaneous materials such as the grooves of a bottle cap, the shine of a wrapper and the forms of coffee cups are engaging and worthy of acknowledgement. I go through stages of experimenting with an array of materials to explore texture, motion and structure. Bold color is another essential characteristic of my sporadic compositions, adding splashes of visual appeal. I am inspired by the strong color and solid forms of Arelene Shechet. The upward stretching designs of Don Gummer and the abstraction of materials seen in the work of Jessica Stockholder and Richard Tuttle are additional influences.

From leftover household paint, yarn and plastic straws to chicken wire and lightbulbs, I play with the potential and limitations of the materials as a way of creating a new expressive dialogue. It is experimental and exciting, but poses endless challenges. Working with random materials allows for limitless discoveries and possibilities and through handling objects I continually question their positioning and intent which evolves into an unforeseen puzzle. I often struggle with the physicality of the world and my work allows me to explore the endless complexities within the realm we live in I strive to interrogate the purpose of the seemingly mundane and further the purpose of self.


The off- kilter, colorful and systematically sporadic characteristics of my sculptures portray my own inner feelings of instability and need to brighten the world. I feel constricted living in a constructed environment made of cinder blocks, squared buildings and straight sidewalks and aim to develop work that incorporates angular qualities with a twist of more natural, organic flow. The trash totems are built with the intent of bringing motion to the cube-like structure. I search to combine two opposing feelings of solid linear forms mixed with an organic, natural flow. Motion plays a key role in my work as I enjoy a sense of instability provoking the question of whether the trash totems are growing upward or crumbling down. As a collective I wish my work to come across as whimsical and wonky allowing others to acknowledge an internal and sometimes forgotten childish delight.


Totems

Wall Pieces