Jeff DaCosta | Artist Statement


        "Fascinated by history and the subtleties of culture, I view my work as a process of social investigation and discourse. With areas of focus ranging from the military class to land use in the American West, much of what I create is a search for honest dialog on complex issues.

       In an attempt to address the breadth of these themes, I favor the use of multiples or create installations to foster a more complete attention from the viewer.  In every instance, the development of a piece relies on extensive research, personal observation, and a commitment to allowing the idea to determine the media and form a concept will take. This approach results in a wide range of media and processes that include traditional quilts, carbon fiber, metal casting or ephemeral light. Conceptual moorings within the work are equally diverse and depict literal material conversions (Great exchange Series) as well as contemporary inversions that challenge a romantic history (Yellow Cake, Heavy Water).

       Emotional response, historical legacy, and political reasoning are all paths of interpretation within my work. Yet, my objective is not to offer clear distinction, meaning, or solution to the viewer. Rather, my hope is to set the conditions for inquiry and use form and imagery to create works that draw from the past to realize the present."