Being a catalyst for social change and awareness is the backbone of my practice. How we treat our fellow humankind guides the direction of our culture, society, and country. Artists operate as chroniclers of history and initiators of change, often serving as a checkpoint for society at large. My practice serves as a voice for social justice and commentary in an ever expanding and connected world. Often through questioning choices of perception and routine, I illuminate the coincidence of our sameness through the mundane. The goal of the work ultimately is to initiate change by propagating connectivity via our shared humanity, barring the practice of othering.
The conversation within my work is introduced by extravagance and comedy, as an entry point to charged topics. Bright colors, rich textures, and exaggerated forms produce approachability to serious subject matter. Underneath a delectable surface are notions of class warfare and xenophobia in my use of discarded materials as a means to consider disenfranchised peoples. Used objects and materials, not simply “found” objects, are an important aspect of my work. When an object is “used”, it implies a history of human contact and connection to a life. It brings the relatability of the human condition to the work. The Gold Spoons Project features a mass of used spoons, each uniquely shaped spoon representing the diversity of American society. Faux gold leaf is delicately applied to each spoon as an assignment of equal value for each life. The application of "value" is of particular interest as a human construct. Examining how American culture allocates value, to material goods vs. people, prompts an opportunity for moral reassessment on a national level.
Space is a particular concern for my objects, installations, and performances: creating an interactive space for the viewer, disrupting space with the presence of an object, and questioning the function and accessibility of a space. A disruption of expectation within a space serves as a point of questioning in the visual language of art. It challenges our understanding of the world around us, and begs for a moment of pause and consideration. Interactive spaces literally place the viewer in the artwork, strongly resonating its discussion for critical discourse and relating body to the work. While considering the function and accessibility of a space, creates opportunity for profound conceptual contrast. The mere definition of space is in flux as design elements are transitory between dimensions. My work utilizes space intentionally as a mechanism to support the work, enhance the experience, and converse with the viewer.
The conversation within my work is introduced by extravagance and comedy, as an entry point to charged topics. Bright colors, rich textures, and exaggerated forms produce approachability to serious subject matter. Underneath a delectable surface are notions of class warfare and xenophobia in my use of discarded materials as a means to consider disenfranchised peoples. Used objects and materials, not simply “found” objects, are an important aspect of my work. When an object is “used”, it implies a history of human contact and connection to a life. It brings the relatability of the human condition to the work. The Gold Spoons Project features a mass of used spoons, each uniquely shaped spoon representing the diversity of American society. Faux gold leaf is delicately applied to each spoon as an assignment of equal value for each life. The application of "value" is of particular interest as a human construct. Examining how American culture allocates value, to material goods vs. people, prompts an opportunity for moral reassessment on a national level.
Space is a particular concern for my objects, installations, and performances: creating an interactive space for the viewer, disrupting space with the presence of an object, and questioning the function and accessibility of a space. A disruption of expectation within a space serves as a point of questioning in the visual language of art. It challenges our understanding of the world around us, and begs for a moment of pause and consideration. Interactive spaces literally place the viewer in the artwork, strongly resonating its discussion for critical discourse and relating body to the work. While considering the function and accessibility of a space, creates opportunity for profound conceptual contrast. The mere definition of space is in flux as design elements are transitory between dimensions. My work utilizes space intentionally as a mechanism to support the work, enhance the experience, and converse with the viewer.
