Artist's Statement
I am most interested in the pictorial expression of concept through painting and photography. Various aspects of discourse connected with human relationships often play a role in my work. I am interested in the hows and whys of human behavior, especially in regards to culture and families. My recent work is an exploration into the place of memory in regards to identity within the family, and the "snapshot" photograph as a mediator, linking past and present.
Preconceptions of what we believe to be good pictures raise standards that can be simultaneously artificial and unrealistic. It is this concept that intrigues me in looking at our family pictures. I especially like it when I find an un-posed picture that gives me a glimpse of what I conjecture is the real you or the real me. But my question is often, what is real? And can we really know that from a single split-second image? Even in the family pictures where everyone is smiling for the camera there are subtle psychological spaces and differences that are compelling to me. The memory that is recollected from the photograph is colored and dimmed with time, but without that image, would I lose the memory completely? These are all questions that I have been considering in my recent paintings. I believe they are questions that will continue to occupy my work for some time.
My recent work is an exploration into the place of memory in regards to identity within the family. In particular, I have been examining my relationship with the photographs and the handmade objects my mother left behind. For me, these objects...embroidered tablecloths and doilies, crewel embroidered pillows, little dresses, doll clothes, knitted sweaters and assorted handmade dolls...which I can physically hold, still contain a remnant of my mother's presence. I have also been attempting to learn about my mother's life, before any personal recollection, by reading her journals and letters. By mentally comparing myself to her at different life stages and inserting imagery that suggests shared experiences I have been on a self-revelatory journey.