Artist Statement

When I was five, I tagged along with my dad to hamfests, radio operator shindigs at county fairgrounds. Cars with trunks open like overflowing treasure chests would showcase electronic wares: old radio boxes, computer boards, cables, monitors, soldering irons. My dad would sell or trade items he no longer needed. My job was to display them on an orange-flowered blanket and haggle. The setup became my stage. We were a traveling show and I was the star with dirty nails and suspenders. Years later, when I find myself welding and smelling the rusty steel odor of the studio, I am driving down those dusty roads with my father again. My work combines metals with memory, exploring the limits of nature and connection. I use chemistry to manipulate organic materials that project narratives of nature, feminism and contradiction. Alchemy meets allegory in twisted visions of dynamic forms that change over time. Delicate water from melted snow mixed with cement, ethereal honey interwoven with cold steel, crusted saltwater from ceramic shells transform into a visual language filled with metaphors. The decomposition captures resulting incongruities. Bottling Yin and Yang, the art reflects the dichotomy of weaknesses and strengths within our selves and the worlds in which we find ourselves. My art unravels personal narratives. The different medium becomes my language, my hieroglyphics. Like the items I’d curate at the hamfests, my art embraces the delicacy of juxtaposing and experimenting with materials to define my visual voice. ​

Artist Bio

Stephanie Garon received dual science degrees from Cornell University, then attended Maryland Institute College of Art. Her work has been exhibited internationally in London, Columbia, and South Korea, as well as across the United States. She teaches at MICA, the Walters Art Museum, and Howard County Public Schools.