Artist Statement

I see myself as an artist who documents lives— charts human experiences. The experiences I choose to portray are realized through personal history and invention. My primary mediums are paper, paint, graphite, wire, and fabric. Stop-motion animation and performance give life to the environments and characters I create.   

These concepts are of interest to me: inner/outer, flat/materialized, reality/fantasy. By using my body as an instrument, I become aware of space: the space my body inhabits and mind occupies when in motion. I am also interested in flattened worlds and how they might penetrate, pass through to the materialized world. 

The paper cutout figures serve as stand-ins for physical bodies. Some peel away from the wall, others are suspended via a wooden base or wire. The figures are vulnerable because of their hand-held size. They are reminiscent of paper dolls, which can be picked up and manipulated, ripped or stepped on. These actions, though not executed literally on the paper figures, are synonymous with human action (outer) and emotion (inner).

I find it easier to put the paper figures in a potentially threatening situation. The viewer is granted full control. A narrative unfolds. At first glance, one might think the scenes light-hearted, humorous. Upon closer investigation, it is apparent the compositions are more complex.

I am interested in layering my pieces with humor—this is the first time in my art-making process I am giggling, laughing at what I am producing. Despite the playful aspect of the work, my intentions are to create genuine characters, whether fictitious or factual. I hope to raise questions and curiosity with which outsiders can identify and empathize.