upcoming grant deadline: 05/15/2024
My art concerns contradictions. When presented with the option of creating functional or non-functional art, I find myself drawn to produce intentionally useless yet ostensibly utilitarian objects. I enjoy creating tension by juxtaposing the natural world with the manmade one, but instead of studying nature itself, I examine man's interpretations of nature. Looking to sources such as the decorative arts and old botanical drawings, I focus on creating forms which, while naturalistic, do not strive to become trompe l'oeil.
I find intrigue in the elegant yet tasteless object and, as a result, strive to create "cultured" work that contains "lowbrow" elements. I carefully incorporate things such as rhinestones and metallic surfaces into a piece so that the viewer is not immediately aware of their presence. Only on closer inspection does one notice that such gaudy materials have been used in the work.