Susan Badgwell

 A combination of hills, trees, and little animals in porcelain and stoneware make up a scene full of lively inter-creature relationships.  Drawing from many influences, from my dachshund and my roommate's cats to the dinosaurs I was obsessed with as a child, the plant life of my native Houston, and the cultural disconnect I experienced living in Tokyo last year, this work combines many parts of my life.  Thus, for me, it has many personal meanings.  Instead of expecting the viewer to figure out my meanings, I have designed the project to be very open-ended.  I want the viewer to come up with his or her own interpretation of what is going on in the scene.  Much of this interpretation may end up being unconscious, which brings up the issue of bias.  For example, one person, assuming they are looking at literally animal relationships, could come up with an interpretation very different from someone who assumes that the animals represent various specific groups of people.  This piece can, then, mean very much or nothing at all to different people with different perspectives.