YOMARIE SILVA

Yomarie Silva is a Professor at Miami Dade College. She is a sculptor working in a variety of media. Her work focuses on forms in nature juxtaposing  them  against the geometry often found in organic forms.

The feel of a material seems to dictate its manipulation. Plaster, bronze or latex are the main materials used, each offering a distinct resistance and requires a different dialogue. I am obsessed with collecting materials of an organic nature or man made objects such as tools. I replicate objects with the use of molds in order to create multiples and further manipulate them once cast. I love the variation between each piece that at first glance looks exactly the same. The materials used enable me to further manipulate and enhance their visual qualities.  Working in both bronze and plaster holds a great power for me. Both of these materials and processes date back to antiquity and their manipulation has changed little in thousands of years. The lost wax method allows me to manipulate a form and creates an environment of chance, the bronze itself, after casting can withstand heavy abuse, offering a greater amount of resistance. Carving plaster and stone provides more processing challenges; these elements cannot be easily manipulated. The tools for carving have not changed since the Renaissance and very little can be undone once the material has been removed.

The scale of the work varies greatly.  I have often made pieces that invade space, as free standing sculpture often does. But I have also focused on making pieces that are intimate and can be hand held; changing scale offers an exciting challenge, both physically and visually; ranging from pieces that are large, which cannot be ignored, to pieces that require active viewer participation and deep contemplation..

The imagery I most often work with is organic, primarily leaves that I consistently collect. Within their organic form lies a rhythm and order. The importance of the line, its thickness, its sinuousness, is always relevant in my work. It is as if I am trying to create a three dimensional drawing, often times forcing the viewer to walk around the piece just with the use of line. I also want to superimpose the sinuous lines of leaves on the rigid forms of geometric figures. I employ two methods to heighten the effect of imposing the natural onto the formal. First, the geometric forms are finished with a more organic roughened surface. Second, the rectilinear figures include intentional imperfections both in the construction of the forms and in the looseness of my mark making.  Most of my work is an expression of a simple fascination with the geometry of natural forms.

The physicality of sculpture is also something I enjoy, the process of making the pieces, working on something for many hours and the satisfaction of using my hands. Artist such as Kiki Smith, Puryear, Rembrandt, Goya, give me further inspiration as their work shows a great love for their materials and craft. However, the most influential individual for my work has been the turn of the century biologist, Ernst Heackel. His book, “Art Form in Nature”, has been an exclusive resource for my work over the past five years. The imagery of his small biological treasures informs almost every piece I make. These images serve as a catalyst for my ideas and have a tendency to grow during the process, regardless of the selected material. The making of an object has become just as important, if not more important than the work itself.