about the work
AUSTIN STUDIO TOUR 2022 AT RIOS
In this body of work, I consider the human connection to nature - both biological and philosophical - as a starting point for the journey of essential truth-seeking in life. During a time of great emphasis on technology as a means for problem solving, I see systems, patterns, harmonies and balance within the natural world as worthy of investigation as an alternative source of wisdom. The representation of femininity in nature is also a thematic through line in my work.
Within this ideological framework, I imagine a wealth of truth and meaning locked within the trees, rock formations, and animals that stand silently around us. To remember humans’ immutable place within the animal kingdom and nature itself offers an invitation to pursue answers to the great questions of life by looking inward to the human body and soul. In the process of looking outward to the environment, we return inward; the process of looking within and coming to understand oneself - the soul - on an intimate level, might lead us to the discovery of great meaning.
During an August 2022 period of research in the rich and rugged landscape of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, I discovered the work of the New Mexico-based Transcendental Painting Group (TPG). TPG theories as well as an array of sources ranging from the writings of Wassily Kandinsky to John Prine song lyrics influenced my thought process throughout the creation of this body of work.
At the technical level, I am experimenting with pushing the boundaries of color harmony - seeking to introduce unexpected or unsettling color combinations that ask that eye of the viewer to do a bit of work. In doing so, I hope to present something different and unpredictable, and to invite a reconsideration of what constitutes beauty.
2020 CAMPAIGN POSTERS
During what is arguably the highest state of American political turmoil I have lived through and in the approach to such a monumental election, I created this whimsical campaign poster series as a fantastical refuge from a reality that has been, in recent months, often difficult to bear. Each of the artists I chose to “nominate” dares to challenge the status quo, represents courage and individuality, or, quite simply, puts positive messaging and love into a world that desperately needs it. Through these works, I invite you to imagine a presidential pool of candidates whose campaigns are rooted in values such as inclusivity, openness, and acceptance. Imagine a world in which the people vying for what should be the most esteemed position in the country are guided by honor, virtue, and respect for fellow man. Now go register to vote!
SPILT MILK (Don’t Cry) (2020)
Spilt Milk (Don’t Cry) is a series of works created in response to the death of George Floyd and the countless other victims of police murder and racial injustice in America, and in an effort to join in the chorus of resistance that has exploded across the nation in the wake of these most recent acts of violence against black people.
Shortly after Mr. Floyd’s murder, while watching news coverage of protests erupting across the nation, I was struck by imagery of protesters pouring milk in one another’s eyes to soothe irritation from tear gas.
The three works in this series were designed to highlight the irony of the use of a white substance (whiteness) to ease black pain - a representation of the false societal assumption of whiteness as a panacea. The notion of “white tears” doubles as a symbol of society’s need and desire to purge itself of the very toxic whiteness that is so deeply entrenched in systemic injustices that continue to breed physical and psychological damage.
The use of phrasing and imagery found in American milk brand advertising is designed to echo society’s exaltation of whiteness (i.e. whiteness = purity) as well as the oft-present trivialization and minimization of the black struggle (“glass half full”).
Finally, the title of the series references society’s desensitization to the murder of black people as a result of centuries of general inaction and frequency of incident. The old adage “don’t cry over spilt milk” suggests society’s failure to respond to the spilling of black blood and the resulting dehumanization of people of color.
*100% of proceeds will be donated to the Black Art Futures Fund, a grant-making organization working to promote the elevation and preservation of black arts and culture.
The Grumeti Project (2020)
The Grumeti Fund is a non-profit conservation organization in the Serengeti Plains of Tanzania that works with local communities to foster an ecosystem in which wildlife and people can coexist. This series of paintings is designed to illustrate The Grumeti Fund’s footprint in this special part of the world.
*50% of all proceeds will directly support the Grumeti Fund’s ongoing efforts to sustainably manage and preserve the Serengeti wilderness.
Fortune Cookie wisdom (2018)
Fortune Cookie Wisdom was born from a desire to put positive, relatable, accessible messages into the world amid the volatile dialogue that has come to dominate public spaces for commentary. Each “fortune” represents a colloquial morsel of a sort of moral code designed to elicit a sense of camaraderie in an otherwise highly polarized sociopolitical environment. It is my hope that these simple quips will encourage viewers to imagine their place in a world with less hostility and more love. Fortune Cookie Wisdom at once celebrates individuality and connectedness: to embrace - to love - one’s self is to possess the fortitude to lift others up. Political beliefs aside, what can we as individuals to do support one another and ignite the power of humanity?