William Maxon

Artist Statement

Scientists studying the behavior of complex and chaotic systems have advanced the theory that there is such a thing as “order for free,” that is, Neo-Darwinian evolution can bring a degree of order out of chaos. The term “Sacred Science” has been used to describe this phenomenon. As a former scientist, I find these ideas fascinating and I am particularly intrigued by the thought that creativity lies at the “edge of chaos”. While there is a human urge towards order and there is a kind of beauty in it, its very static nature tends toward tedium. A transition into a more random state carries an opportunity for a different, maybe more exciting form to emerge. All my work, whether carving New Mexico travertine, working clay over steel, or making monotypes, has involved materials that have an element of random unpredictability. Forcing chaos by using these techniques has been a good strategy. It has helped me let my imagination run more freely than my years as a scientist have tended to allow. My enjoyment in making art is based on this process. Relying heavily on intuition to bring a measure of order, without sacrificing mystery, to each piece, I hope to occasionally obtain a satisfying result.