A R T I S T S T A T E M E N T
My ideas come from many sources ~ something I might see on a walk down the street or out in the woods, rafting a river or traveling the world, a picture in a magazine or an admired piece, or a dream in the night. But what they all share is a feeling inspired by the majesty, beauty and mystery of the natural world and how it interfaces with the human one.
I like work that involves dynamic tension, as if counterbalancing forces were at work to sustain things in a precarious equilibrium; how things stay together and how they fall apart, and how time works its way to expose cracks, fissures, strata.
I am primarily interested in creating objects of strength and beauty that are complete in themselves, but also reflect on things other than themselves. Whether working in clay or other mediums I have created work in series, where the ideas that come from the making of one piece lead to a similar but different one so that by the end a body of work has been created that is cohesive yet individualistic. And that body often leads in a related but different direction and the cycle is started anew.
My preference for large scale focuses not just on object, but on process and materials as well, and as I have introduced new materials and processes into my work, the ideas and applications are amplified, and it is this idea/material/process interface that excites me and keeps me moving forward.
And in the end, the actual doing of the work ~ the hands on, physical making ~ is what nourishes and sustains me.
"...Durst accentuates the contrast between man-made and natural by pairing tree trunks and heavily textured clay, and combing rough surfaces with smooth." ~ Mary Chandler, Rocky Mountain News
