Artist Statement 2010

My paintings, drawings, and prints use object imagery to illustrate personal narratives which relate to the negotiation of home, marriage and family identity. These narratives are described through reoccurring iconic imagery such as cupcakes, balloons and animals. This work negotiates the intricate space that often exists within memory and anxiety while addressing the complex nature of relationships.

Using animals as agents of metamorphosis and transformation is important in my work. These protagonists act as surrogates to humans. The ambiguity surrounding each personally symbolic animal’s articulates my intention of trying to illustrate the relationships without blame or bias.

Through the spatial tension I am able to extract more meaning from the interactions of the animals. The use of predator and prey also plays within the idea of festivity and imagined danger. They seem to be unaware of each other’s presence, yet we can anticipate a movement which has the potential to change the scene into a more dramatic struggle.

I am also interested in layers of meaning and connections. This is attempted through the relationship of the animals and the tethered relationships with the ribbon and confections. The use of mediums is an important element of this language; I use layers of grounds of acrylic, gouache and watered pen ink to work around each drawn object. The use of a bright color palette serve to “feminize” the mood. By using the candied color palette I am attributing a lighter feeling to a darker content of uncertainty or danger.

Film Work/Film Stills

Working in Film I have been able to connect my lifework with my interests in creating psychological spaces. These imagined spaces are based on tactile objects, color and memory. The sense of memory and the illusion of these spaces compliment my visual two dimensional narratives.