Statement
Artist’s Statement
I became interested in multi-media projects when I began experimenting with the union of art and technology in my fine art projects. I created an installation called “See My Voice” that addressed the disconnect of interpersonal communication in the wake of electronic devices.
The interplay of still and time-based media express a dichotomy for me: my work’s interactivity parallels moving forward while standing still. The images are large and the sound, subtle. The balance of the two is a dance I share with my viewer. This practice has extended to other installation work, Steel Ice & Stone, Finding The Sky and other works in progress.
A central preoccupation of all my work is to examine what is often overlooked or unnoticed, either in the past or the present. I hope that my work provides people with an opportunity to look anew at something they may have missed, or remember something long forgotten. My work aims to awaken memories and reconnect with a more nuanced understanding of one’s surroundings.
Democracy Spoken Here
Message, Typography and Politics is a typographic art piece. It is an aesthetic response to a political challenge; how an expression of historical import can be rendered more visible by expressing it typographically.
Ultimately, it is a response to a period of political turbulence.
The continuous assault on our democracy is at the heart of this work. There has been general unease in this country for decades, but its voice reverberated, united by the internet and an unrepentent demagogue as its leader. Not a single human right has been spared of angst since 2016.
The font Clarendon displays prominently in this work. It was adapted for use extensively in the American West while undergoing continuous refinement for printing newspapers in the East. I’ve used it as the font to set all the type in the project and prints from this project have been exhibited in museums and exhinitions throughout the United States, a sign that the crisis wants to be examined; discussed.
Steel, Ice & Stone
Steel, Ice & Stone is a multimedia installation designed to prompt reflection on the power of sensory media in reviving nuanced memories. Inspired by personal experiences, the project explores the significance of recalling past events, especially when the physical elements of those memories are irreversibly lost.
The piece originated from my attempt to understand my sibling's decision not to undergo treatment for a brain tumor that ultimately claimed his life. In grappling with this choice, I found solace and understanding through revisiting his grave in a natural cemetery years later. The interaction with the humble stone, surrounded by ice and framed in steel, triggered a profound experience where bird songs and distant machine sounds filled the air, symbolizing the healing of our bond.
The core of the installation lies in creating a setting for viewers to traverse, surrounded by oversized images and soundscapes of heavy machines and birdcalls. Abstract photographs of steel, ice, and stone, suspended from the ceiling, form a maze for the audience to navigate. The soundtrack, a blend of natural birdcalls and machine sounds, plays from sensor-triggered units strategically placed for this immersive experience.
Through this environment, I aim for viewers to engage with the abstract images and sounds, invoking distant memories from their own lives. Metaphors are employed to convey the intangible, expressing the paradoxical sense of moving forward while standing still. The dance between large, still images and subtle, time-based sounds encapsulates the delicate balance that I share with the audience, encouraging contemplation and introspection.