Artist Statement

     When painting, I tend to switch between two main forms of content. Although quite different in content and materials, they both link back to a contemplative reminiscence of my childhood. I began my focus on the concept of childhood memories while scrolling through my moms facebook account. After hours of scrolling, I unceremoniously realized that I had little to no conscious memory of a majority of my childhood. Although perturbed, I couldn’t stop myself from practically researching myself through the lens of an outside third perspective.

     The first subject that I indulge in is my abstract geometric pieces. Those bodies of work largely focus on the recurring patterns that flitted throughout what little I remember from my youth, or were the patterns that were the most heavily documented throughout said childhood. My abstract pattern work relies on a flat, solid application of paint, relying on high contrast between hue, saturation, and value. I work meticulously, studying and breaking down the patterns in real time as I craft and design how to replicate each of them to the most accurate sense possible. When working on my pattern based work, the most important aspect for each of these pieces is the process. The tedious measuring, the placing of tape, the steep curve of a circle, each of these aspects of the process give me an opportunity to sit in contemplation with these patterns and give me the space to reflect on the concept of a childhood that I haven’t consciously experienced. 

     The other type of work that I produce is my more representational works that are completely photo referential from photo documentation sources such as facebook or scrapbooks. I take curated childhood photographs that typically depict myself or an environment that was frequented during my childhood and re-approach these snapshots through my current experiences. I take a very painterly approach to said pieces with an over exaggeration of color temperature. Utilizing thick applications of oil paint, I exemplify the texture to make it loud and unmistakable that these images are paintings, and not just recreations of a singular image. Due to my lack of genuine memory of my subject matter, a majority of my references and inspiration sprouts from the existence of the photograph. Quite similarly to my acrylic abstract works, my main focus on these pieces are the contemplative process that allows me the space to truly study the experiences of the person I used to be.

     My main initiative with my work is to spark the curiosity of the viewer, to invite them to also study each pattern and childhood photo and come to their own conclusions based on the context given in each work. I rely on the nostalgia and intrigue of those with potential shared experiences throughout each of my works, grasping onto each possible forms of connection into a shared past.