Artist Statement:

Artifacts and their temporal qualities fascinates me. From the stuff we hoard as personal objects that later define our life’s memories, to the objects that endure as the markers for historical periods, artifacts are sewn into the fabric of our lives. My pieces often begin by telling a story about relationships with objects – my relationship with the objects, the relationship other people in my life have with the objects, and, finally, my relationship with that particular observer, known or unknown. I am intrigued by the formal relationship between the object and its context with the structure of an overall piece – its story, its texture, its connection, and its accessibility to the viewer. The pieces then, hopefully, continue to invite viewers to recognize a sense of play and discovery and, ideally, continue that play either physically in a given space or mentally in any space.

In each season of my life, there are overarching problems and questions that arise- and I need to remain curious to investigate them through my art, or I may cease to exist. In my latest work, “hold on…”, as well as in many other series, I am working through my individual identity and my identity as life-partner and caretaker- and very much in the evolution of those identities. Identity and how that evolves based on interpersonal relationships and societal education is a loop all people find their way through in life. I am curious about where I am presently in relation to these roles, but also need to make these pieces in order to understand my past and future. I have a strong desire to understand as well as to allow myself the permission to actually be compassionate with myself through the work.

I celebrate my life and identities & roles, and strive to revisit my life as a child to rectify my present and future. This celebration is not always wanted or easy, but we cannot control our memory and the decision our mind/body makes to arrive with experiences at any point in our lives whether we want them to or not. Trauma has always informed my work, and the work provides a necessary investigation in understanding this life and functions as a means of healing- and has since I began using my hands to create. But with hope and humor, I strive to also convey a sense of my own personal play, the energy this creates, and a collective playground to explore, discover, and create.

It is important to me as an artist to invite the viewer to interact with my work in a variety of ways, whether it is to move and modify objects, to play with reflection and shadow, to create and post their own physical artwork in the space, and to take away pieces of the work along with them in their lives. There is no successful realization of this desire as of yet- I feel I will endlessly be investigating how to relay this permission to the viewer via the work itself without text that spoon-feeds them the means of interacting.

The privilege of having the time to dedicate to this art-making process is a gift I am eternally grateful for. Because of this journey, media that require dedicated time as part of the process are methodologies I gravitate toward. I am a Master Printer of Lithography, but thrive when using all printmaking media. The darkroom is a place that allows me to feel safe and connected to myself. The idea that through each step of the process you are putting a little more heart and emotion and energy and focus into the work is really everything. That is the necessary part of making for me as an artist. I create and work and time passes- in the end, there happens to be a product. But this end product is only a small artifact leftover from the experience. That process and the doing of it is what truly remains immortal in my mind and body, and the ability to revisit those moments through artifact is what I connect to most. There is also peace in creating the multiple, or having the ability to. This allows for a deep investigation into minuscule changes in the process, supporting my need for time and focus.

Empathy and hope are the messages and qualities in my art practice that I not only desire for myself but that I also want to share with others. In essence, we are truly not alone in our feelings and experiences in this life and in this world, and if only one person connects with my work and sees that connection, my lifes work will have been a success. My goal is to have that reach many, and for them to take those messages out into their work and lives, and have that cycle of empathy and hope continue.