Artist Statement:
I’m a self-taught artist based in Durham, North Carolina. My work primarily focuses on the interaction between two mediums: The use of collage to stage narratives by way of dream logic and magical realism, and atmospheric backdrops created through the incorporation of spray paint and water.
This showing represents 3 collections of work that were created from early 2019 to present. A major component of my approach is framing the process of constructing a narrative as problem solving, where I challenge myself through the establishment of rules and limitations on how I implement these mediums.
My intention is to create images that evoke a mixture of ethereal whimsy and ebbing darkness, where the awareness of these elements is dependent on whether the viewer is inspecting from afar or intimately close.
Collection 1: Flowers
9 larger works that share the repeated use of a specific image of flowers as a means to ground elements being staged within the composition. Repeatedly using an image may seem innocuous, but marks the first time in 13 years that I sought to digitally duplicate an image for collaging.
This integration of technology is liberating, as it shows just some of the potential that digital manipulation can have within my work; it also marks a heightened sense of restraint moving forward for me. I wish to limit the use of printers and scanners within my process as a means to preserve some of the problem-solving mentality that I’ve come to enjoy (can’t make things too easy, right?).
Collection 2: Horizons
37 smaller works that were initially created as a way to utilize and elevate remnants of larger cropped works with one rule in mind: No people. People have been heavily prevalent in my work for their ability to be strong focal points that direct the narrative. Their removal led to the implementation of animals and cut-out environments as the means for staging.
Soon, a narrative connecting these works emerged: A post-human world being reclaimed by nature. This concept enabled me to mold a world that would’ve otherwise gone unexplored. Created between 2019 and 2020, this collection demonstrates how one change in methodology can lead to something bigger than itself.
Collection 3: 2019
The third bulk represents a selection of medium to large works created in 2019. Though there is no overall narrative or problem-solving constraint present, these works are marked by a renewed period of experimentation regarding how the mediums were implemented: The introduction of solid footing for subjects and finding new ways for spray paint and water to interact together.
Exhibition runs July 6th – Mid-August, 2020