Cynthia Turner

After working in the legal field for 20 years, I had an “a-ha” moment, returned to school, and earned a 4-year degree in interior design. That, in turn, helped me realize my passion for finding beauty in materials that would otherwise typically become part of the waste stream: paper, wood, scrap metal, packaging, and found objects. I particularly love working with paper, which often seems to have been relegated to the level of a “craft” material. Not only is paper readily available, but it is very malleable and can take various forms with ease. I also am intrigued by maps and topography, which I use to engage the viewer by making the perspective unclear: is this the view of a bird or an ant? Ultimately, my work is informed by the serendipitous discovery of materials, many of which are leftover materials from home improvement or construction projects. Sometimes the materials suggest ideas to me. Other times, I deliberately create rules for myself because I believe that limitations - whether budget, time, or otherwise – promote the most creative solutions. I tend to work until the material runs out, doing slight permutations to a design, then moving on to the next material. Knowing that there is a finite amount of material available to me makes me both more and less emotionally attached to the objects I create.