ARTIST STATMENT

Throughout my life, I have been fixated on the perceptions of others, and my identity. In my work, I seek to investigate this perception on a personal, and social level. I am interested in the idea that there are many versions of the self that can exist, each with their own perception from others. In my practice, I push myself to explore the boundaries of truth and reality, specifically utilizing mediums such as photography, papercraft, and multimedia installation. Folklore and mythological motifs are frequent to my work; I am interested in their ability to convey human experience that resonates on both a communal, and individual scale. Going against my own personal history of attempting to mirror others around me, I turn to my art expression to give myself a space to exist more truthfully. This practice has solidified my resolve to represent those around me with the same clarity.

My photographic practice allows me to explore visual representation as a way to communicate truth. I engage with the history of the photograph as evidence, and examine my subjects to understand the many facets that make them who they are. I believe that as individuals, the experiences that we share can show what it means to dwell in a larger cultural or global sphere. I feel compelled as an artist to both challenge and relate my viewer’s own actuality to an experience unfamiliar to themselves. By specifically utilizing environmental portraiture,, I am able to present my subjects and their lived experiences. In conveying my own identity I turn to self portraiture; positioning myself in front of the camera, rather than behind it. Additionally, I explore historic forms such as the photographic archive as a conduct of larger representation. Most recently, I am interested in what makes an event or action truly occur. A question leading many of my projects is: if a sequence is not photographed, did it happen?