Artist Statement and Concept

Segment of thesis updated as of 5/31/09

Kitefliers are loathe to admit that kites do not stay in blue skies, suspended forever. They are concerned as well: that these fragile creatures may not survive the fall from the great heights they have attained.
The kite has about it the suggestion, a sign we might say, of the life force: innocence and optimism, a focus on the moment at hand accompanied by a sense of comfort that life beneath a kite flying silhouetted against the canvas of blue sky, in that moment, is free of pain and rage. It is a feeling long associated with kites, implying a child’s world of innocence, true, but however small this kernel of innocence carried forward into adulthood, for kitefliers it is a moment of grace, the world is at peace with itself.
- Tal Streeter, Lightness of Sky, Gravity of Earth, excerpt from The Drachen Foundation Kite Journal no. 9 p48


The romance of flight is not a new subject to mankind. Kites in and of themselves have been an extension of human hands for hundreds of years, for prayers, protection, or leisure and fun (even for fishing). They soar naked among the birds, unabashedly on display for all to see. I admire this simplicity, because so many of us are so vain and so self conscious that it seems like such a relief to watch something (an object, or a person) be in their environment with nothing to hide. How many of us almost envy their ease with exposure, especially those of us having troubles expressing ourselves? The distance created as a result of this trouble resulted in the journey of life moving along without me, and I became lost. From losing the sense of a self, I let myself become vulnerable, “young and confused,” which often attracts individuals of the more manipulative nature. These types of individuals understood me with more immediate clarity than I had understood of them or myself for that matter. For many years I had been ignorant in my self-identification but through current relationships and this series, I began to examine the source of my lack of confidence.

A vague description may slip by,
But I am afraid to release it.
Dreams of flight, sleep in waking
Hollow vacuous staring with occasional change in expression,
Even speech, perhaps not entirely misplaced.
The tension of a bridle and line holding me back,
It is my own force for the safety of a mind assumed too fragile.
Restricted by my fears of a kite broken from its string,
I have yet to gain the fortitude to soar higher than my present self
Toward my real selfIf I let it go, how will it return?
Will it float down?
Will it dent?
Will it break?
This thrill is overwhelming, yet it is still remains just an idea.
Where will I be once I'm up there?

Freedom and Restraint
Everything seems to function between these states. Through my imagery, and the use of kites this concept is displayed in a light, playful way. There exists the search and desire for pleasure, happiness, but fears may hold my subjects back. They may dive into the sky, but are still bound by something we cannot quite see or define. While alone, a figure may not be able to fly effectively, yet in numbers may be able to soar. The delicacy and playful properties of kites are what I find particularly attractive. In the book by Hans Silvester, Into the Wind; The Art of the Kite, he makes a reference to a poetic author, Gilbert Lascault

…to build a kite is to put art beyond the reach of stuffiness and heavy discourse…for a kite is the negation of academic attitudes, of a complacent culture. A kite offers no criticism. It just escapes. It is somewhere else entirely (66).

Silvester goes on to note:
This intriguing “somewhere else,” where intelligence no longer matters and awareness melts away, commands us to cherish our remains of innocence – because of all the characteristics of human nature, the richest by far is the passion for the perfectly useless (66).

With the romance of the kite afloat, I feel safe in my approach to that which I have held back for so long.

Finding the right direction has been a heavy task, especially within my personal boundaries upon entering the early stages of female adulthood. I have been immensely sheltered throughout my life, I lack some of that "common sense" I hear so much about, and I view it as detrimental only because it is combined with my shy nature. This results in the tendency to keep problems to myself until they overload (until recently, always around the wrong people). Put that together with procrastination, plus the fears of disappointment and disappointing others, and I have a mixture of factors which have ruled over my life, and to an extent still do. Making and talking about this series assists in my self-prescribed therapy. The functionality of the kites appeals to me as a challenge to help me to find a way to manage my habits in a more productive manner.




I often break off into something silly as a distraction, or just a way to enjoy the world around me. So now it's KITES!!!! YAY!!!!!






We are the creators of our lives. What we seek, we already have.