Erin Monet Wheary

I am an interdisciplinary artist.

My work derives from the application of an ordered system onto a material. Applying parameters to nature is an attempt to control the uncontrollable. This concept sets a framework for my studio practice and provides a method for creating, resulting in forms. A simple, repeated modular element, with or without subtle variation, is my building block. My process is circular, building sculptures, taking them apart, and re-building. How many times can I do this? How many unique sculptures can I create? What will I learn? Through this practice, the process is materialized, and the goal of fusing material, process, and content is realized.

I am interested in documenting problem-solving and creation. Intuition guides the design of my work. Videos and photos are evidence of the life of the piece. This documentation highlights my learning through the process of creating: the struggle and the reward.

Erin Monet Wheary was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. She received a BA in Sculpture and Printmaking from the University of Puget Sound (2013) and an MFA in Sculpture from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (2018). She has participated in residencies in the USA and abroad, most recently at Chateau Orquevaux in Orquevaux, France. Her work is featured in publications and exhibits in the United States and abroad. She currently teaches in the Art and Art History department at Swarthmore College.