Artist Statement
Artist Statement
Humor and joy are central tenets of my work. The pieces I create are highly autobiographical and personal. I was fascinated by biographies and mythologies as a child. As an adult, I am frequently confused by the behaviors and emotions of people, including myself. My pieces range from endless reinterpretations of my face, to portraits of relatives, friends, and found family.
My motivation is to celebrate the uncelebrated. My subjects are not celebrities or wealthy movers and shakers or shapers of policy. They are still real and valid. They belong and deserve to be cherished and loved. I explore and celebrate us through joyous, chaotic, whimsically unexpected juxtapositions of painterly euphoria. I push water-based mediums to their limits – making my own rules as I go.
An additional reason for painting myself (and others like me) is that we aren’t seen as beautiful or positive. We are a joke at best, something to be avoided and derided. For the longest time, you didn’t see people who looked like me unless we were a “before” picture. We are almost always portrayed as layabouts at best or gluttonous villains at worst. We are predatory sinners. We are not the love interest or the hero. If we are lucky, we’re a sidekick. But mostly we are a cautionary tale. Our lives also have worth. We are not interesting despite our differences but because of them. Conformity is anathema to me. Diversity is our strength.