Sherri Besso

In addition to her demanding job as assistant preparator at the Taft Museum of Art, Sheri Besso still finds time to make thought-provoking mixed-media sculpture in her studio at her Westwood home. Recently back from an African safari, Besso has just finished a collaborative installation called Blue Kama Sutra with artist Kevin T. Kelly that will open at the Carnegie Sept. 7. Here are five things that inspire Besso:

Objects. I enjoy exploring the physical properties of materials -- their function, historical value and metaphors surrounding them. I'm intrigued by the most mundane, taken-for-granted objects found in everyday life. They're imbued with their own history, collective memory and purpose, thereby leaving their physical attributes for me to play with.

Manipulation. I enjoy the challenge of manipulating objects to do things they normally shouldn't and producing things that look like what they're not. For instance, there are endless possibilities of what you can do with a piece of developed 16mm film. I like pushing the boundaries of what a material can do.

Music. I find music to be so inspiring. It can set every mood. Good music can create images in one's mind -- from the romantic to the psychotic.

Conversation. I learn so much from talking with and listening to people. A good conversation is one of the joys in life.

Love. I believe anything is possible with the support, interest, and influence of loved ones, family, and friends.

---

ARTICULATIONS offers five things important to one of Cincinnati's visual artists. To be considered, contact Tamera Lenz Muente at tmuente@citybeat.com