My artwork was born from the small details and cracks that build up together to establish the whole mirror people use to view themselves. Yet, it is only from a distance that a person is able to join the bits and pieces that form their self identification and ideals; up close sight is taken over by memories and events that stand individually. For me, everything circles around the push and pull of the self, expectations, and nature reflecting upon thoughts and feelings. Understanding a single person is challenging but limited. Understanding the world and the echos of reflections all things have in common takes more than an awareness of a single person. Nature itself creates the initial standings for beauty and balance within a person. My work uses the narrative of the comparison between nature's influence on the mental psyche with the expectations of society, friends, and strangers. I want to create form through details and fragments that lead to the revelation of something simultaneously fragile, beautiful, and bold. To begin the journey to understand how the world interacts on a macro and micro scale with people I draw inspiration from a wide body of sources: theorists, artists, friends, nature, and more. There I learn about the stories and dreams of individuals. I use the struggles of a mother growing up in a hard neighborhood trying to protect her younger brother who now fights to discover acceptance where she shunned it. I use the frustrations of a friend who travels incessantly around the world to find a place that feels like home. The stories I hear all around challenging my personal philosophies and has lead me to the overarching theme of my work. I explore where ‘you’ exist—the body, brain, mind, or a continuation of experiences—and ultimately whether or not that is important. Does the relationship of where we are determine who we are? What does? Often the themes of self identification, societies expectations, and where a person exists within nature lead my work across mediums and visual languages. My love of working and manipulating metal feeds my desire to be able to control and change, allowing a sense of creation other materials don’t provide. Each individual work of mine results in a combination of several smaller aspects that alone create different meaning. However, it is through combining them, bringing in other elements that my work truly comes to life. Ultimately the viewer is left with a piece that balances between ordinary and complex, delving towards the heart of humanity and expression such as the simple thoughts that develop into self-questing journeys.
From street art in Puerto Rico during the St. Sebastian festival to the locks spanning across the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris, France there are connections and bridges in all forms of artwork.
The lock bridge in Paris. As an artist, recognizing patterns and desires of expression and self-value determines what path we take within our own work.
The decorated streets of London. As an artist, recognizing patterns and desires of expression and self-value determines what path we take within our own work.