As an artist, I gravitate towards nonsensical, peculiar pieces with imagination and depth. From Leonora Carrington to René Magritte, the bizarre elegance of their work has an uncanny beauty that easily grabs my attention. The work I produce tends to rely on subverting expectations like the old masters. I may build small sets to photograph or create a sculpture with a video display (that also captures the viewer's likeness and incorporates them into the background of the video). Working with scale, or placing objects next to each other that, on face value, do not seem to match. The themes of my artwork rely heavily on my passions and interests. Projects have had general themes of human existence or the lack of control we have in our everyday lives. I have created work that came from underlying anger and grief. The most recent work has focused on my frustration with politics or the surrounding bureaucracies of the world. The beautifully created scenes of Lori Nix, the lighting and placement of objects from Irving Penn, the confusion and indirectness of Max Ernst, the technology and tools of Nam Jun Pak, and the emotional connections within Sally Man’s photographs are just some of my favorite sources of inspiration.
Science and technology have played a large role in my artwork. I began my journey with photography specifically based on analog chemistry. With the onset of digital, technology is has been thrown into the mix. With circuits, coding, old processes, and 3D animation, my practice ranges in scope and intent. Emotional content, whether to make someone smile or cry, is a major part of the practice as well. I strongly believe that artwork needs an emotional backbone to create an experience for the viewer. The mediums differ from project to project. I have created digital and analog still imagery, moving images, 3D animations, VR and AR, sculptures - with lights, videos, and sounds- and other technology-based mediums. The main focus has always been photography – but with later research, I realized the connections between the mediums and how I could transition to a 3D environment or create a large-scale sculpture.
My recent studies have brought me back to the political spectrum. With Ai Weiwei’s belief that “everything is art, everything is politics,” I noticed a through-line between my current pieces as an underlying political message. Lately, it seems as though we live in a very nihilistic society controlled by an administration bent on damaging the core structures that define American existence. The recent works have a subtle call to action using political themes and the never-ending ticking clock. Wasting time, or running out of time to act, the messages invoke a fear of the constant flux and loss of American rights. All images are crafted in black and white photography within a studio setting. The scenes and compositions created use a mix of 3D models and small-scale items to simulate the ongoing struggles of American society.