Biography
Stephanie Garon received dual science degrees from Cornell University, then attended Maryland Institute College of Art. Her nature infused metal sculptures have been exhibited internationally in London, Columbia, and South Korea, as well as across the United States. Her writing has been published in international literary journals. She teaches at MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art.)
Artist Statement
As a five year old, I tagged along with my father to "hamfests,” radio operator gatherings held in county fair parking lots. Cars would line grass with their trunks open like overflowing treasure chests filled with electronic wares: old radio boxes, computer boards, cables, monitors, soldering irons. It was an oasis in the heart of wooded valleys.
My father would sell or trade items he no longer needed. My job was to display them on a tattered blanket and haggle to make the sale. The setup became my stage as I pranced about, reorganizing after each barter session.
Years later, when I’m welding and smelling the rusty steel odor of the studio, I am driving down those dusty roads again. My work explores the vulnerability of nature to humanity. I use the juxtaposition of organic materials with steel to personify nature and feminism. Alchemy meets allegory in dynamic forms that change over time: green pine needles fade to brown, cement made from melted snow crumbles, and wind switches orientation of metal sculpture around trees. These natural movements, emphasizing the process of decomposition, capture paradoxes: formalism and fragility, permanence and impermanence, and nature and nurture.
My art, through sculpture and writing, reflects the dichotomy of weaknesses and strengths within our selves and the environmental world around us. Like my curated items at hamfests, my art transforms materials to define my visual voice.
