Artist Statement
My work examines the rules that govern the invisible structures of society. These are things that hold sway over our lives, be they economic, familial, political, or otherwise. I'm fascinated with how oppressive systems endure, replicating themselves through collective practices, rituals, and ideas. They display themselves via status markers or other means of conveying self-image: aesthetics, interpersonal allegiance, citizenship, lineage, etc. For the individual, traditional markers of place are strictures. We deploy markers of place to protect ourselves, to preserve our identities. These same markers ‘use’ us to perpetuate the system they are born of. There is tension in this arrangement when we consider things like race, class, and cultural identication.
The visual focus of my work is on the human form. Figurative forms, typically decorated with bright colors, patterns, and textures, offer a glimpse into the rich patchwork of each individual’s personal story of presentation. This is both a celebration and a lonely portrait of the individual. The more unique facets that an individual possesses, the fewer available ‘places’ of belonging exist for that individual. The figures exist within the structural barriers that connect them.
I use traditional printmaking techniques (mainly monotype, calligraph, and relief) to print on thin kozo paper, cotton, and silk. Once printed, the fabrics and paper become the material for the collage. The material is infused with beeswax and then adhered to a wooden surface using hot irons. The gures are mostly featureless, but you can “see” them. You can imagine and interpret who they are. Each gure provides information about how it aims to be seen, and yet anyone looking at them will see what they want. There is playfulness in this exchange; it resides in the breakdown of control that we have over our social environments. This breakdown is at the core of self-expression and always comes with risk.