ARIEL BULLION ECKLUND

Ecklund's sculptural forms are intuitive. She begins with a general idea of the design and shape of the object, but as she initiates the building process, the work invariably morphs into its own being.​ Past experiences, both emotional and physical, influence these sculptural works in which feelings of absence, impermanence, memory and yearning are explored. The body remembers as much as the mind, thus the transference of this conscious and subconscious energy is visually represented in these forms.​ At times, Ecklund uses an applied line to impart the illusion of control. The wrapping of thread around her ceramic forms is a cathartic and methodic motion, an attempt to create order from the chaos that inherently lies within both the inner and outer spaces of our lives. Ultimately, the works represent the resulting manifestation of stability and strength - evidence of emotional and physical survival.

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Ecklund is influenced by a multitude of works by many artists across various methods and media, including the haunting and nostalgic photographs of Sally Mann, the emotive paintings of Francis Bacon, the simultaneously bold and elegant forms of Richard Serra, the raw and sexually charged works by Egon Scheile, the reflective and sinewy work of Lenore Tawney and the simplified lines of Brutalist and Mid Century architecture.