Statement

I draw attention to the hand-made because I want the viewer to understand the art object as a record of a series of actions. The transformation of one material into the appearance of another is a work of theater. Like a dramatic aside that breaks the fourth wall, my work allows the audience to simultaneously perceive an illusion and the illusion’s construction. There is a threat of short-circuiting the logic of the image with this dual purpose.

A similar threat results from the current eroding barriers between public and private ownership. Media conglomeration, unchecked neoliberalism, and the resulting push for privatization of traditionally public zones lowers expectations for participation in civic spheres from all sides. I take cues from the shifting public space: from cable news and opinion shows, to current popular music, to the actual physical space of public roadways and parks. I don’t look to make political statements in particular, as much as consider the fields where politics and public life happen.