J: What I find interesting about your work is that it casually shifts between sculpture, design, and

pure function. Is this something you’re thinking about consciously during the making process?

T: I don’t really think about labels too much. Sometimes if you put something in a gallery, it’s art

and if you put it in a home, it’s design. But my work isn’t trying to fit into one category—it’s about

material, form, and the way objects interact with space. Sometimes that means making

something that serves no function beyond existing. Other times, it’s about creating something

that people live with. I like when the distinction isn’t clear.

J:

I ask this because you’ve worked as a cabinetmaker, a marine carpenter, as well as many other

trades. I could only imagine those experiences have shaped not only your process and practice

but your overall aesthetic.

T: Working with your hands teaches you patience and problem-solving in a way that nothing else

does. When you build cabinets or work on boats, everything has to be exact—there’s no margin

for error. That level of precision carries over into my sculpture. But beyond the technical skills,

working in trades also puts you in environments where materials are constantly being

repurposed, fixed, or reimagined. That way of thinking—looking at something and seeing what

else it could be—that’s at the core of my practice.

J: I happen to know that you are currently working at a hardware store in Seattle, as well as a

non-profit, as well as teaching workshops. Do you feel like your desire for exposure to multiple

environments informed that way of thinking and working?

T: I’ve always had multiple jobs. I work at a nonprofit because I want to be around other artists,

ideas, and mediums. I work at a hardware store because, for a sculptor, it’s an endless source

of materials. Those jobs aren’t just survival—they inform my work in ways a studio practice

alone never could. I think some of the most interesting art comes from people who have their

hands in multiple worlds.

Having come up in the craft world myself, I know your primary medium can serve as a bit of a

crutch in the making process. However, you seem to work in many different mediums. Wood will

always show it’s face, but it isn’t necessarily front and center with each piece.

T: I’ve always been idea-driven. Wood is my first language because I trained in it, but I’ll use

whatever material best serves the idea. Some things need to be metal, some things need to be

plastic, some things need to be a mix of all of it. I don’t want to be limited by a single medium. I

want the freedom to invent.j: I think this sense of or need for freedom is what I was referencing

earlier when we spoke

about your work’s relationship to sculpture, design and function. Lately it seems like you are

latching onto that idea and really running with it. Can you talk a little bit about the body of work

your working on currently?

T: Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how sculpture exists outside of traditional art spaces. Alot of my recent pieces feel like they belong in homes—they ride this line between sculpture and

furniture. They still have the qualities of fine art, but they also feel lived-in, almost like relics from

a past that never happened. There’s something interesting to me about creating objects that feel

both antique and new at the same time.

J: I love that. It has been a while since we have seen contemporary sculpture claiming it’s spot

in domestic spaces. Outside of the studio, what is next for you?

T: I’m working on launching a residency space focused on sculpture. I already have the

location—now it’s just a matter of finding funding and making it sustainable. The idea is to bring

together artists who are serious about their craft, almost like a band, but for sculpture. I want to

see what happens when you get people from different disciplines—glass, wood, metal,

jewelry—working in the same space, feeding off each other. Something interesting is bound to

come from that.

J: It’s rare to find a residency or really any programming dedicated entirely to sculpture. I can’t

wait to see what happens with that, please keep me in the loop. It was great chatting, I

appreciate you taking the time.

.

​