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Artist Jedediah (Jed) Morfit is a professor of sculpture at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.
My art centers on objects to stimulate visceral connections. These compositions represent biographies of people, experiences and interpretations of intangible ideas. Although my work can be categorized as realism, my intention is to distill the emotion of an object, then through expression, reconstruct it into my view of its essential self - free of function.
As an artist working primarily with paper, my art requires me to be part craftsman and part engineer. I learned a lot about how to construct things by working at my father’s side, in his workshop. I’m compelled to produce work that is visually poetic by using a medium that defies perceived limitations.
I am currently working on a series of paper chairs. I am interested in how personal chairs can become over time - almost taking on the characteristics of their owners. Chairs provide a sense of dignity - from hand carved stools in Africa, to thrones in Europe. Conversely, chairs are ubiquitously a part of our public and social lives, bringing humanity together in small groups or en masse. - Vincent
“The process of inflating metal is curiously attuned to radiator design and shares certain similarities, which I find fascinating. For example the actual shaping of Squeeze comes from pumping high-pressure water into two sheets of metal. The appeal of designing radiators comes not only from a desire to create interesting and beautiful objects but also to create beauty with a high level of functionality so that performance is not sacrificed for looks. This design ethos is something that Aestus shares the same passion for … as well as a love of design and materials.”