ARTIST STATEMENT

I feel we all have to play the role of a forensic pathologist at times, to pick apart the death and decay to see what went wrong and maybe gain some closure. While weeding through the raw and the grotesque there are some beautiful discoveries to be made. These cathartic motions embody my art. They are its very process and driving force. In every painting I move through a thought, a fear, and an unknown, all put up for question. Starting with a personal exploration and therapeutic release in the end, almost like meditation. I love the quick start of a painting and the uncharted destination from its birth. This investigative work is paired with my fascination for the human body, such a resilient yet transient life source. My work displays this with its tactile nature and heavy application of material. I like the idea as an artist playing forensic pathologist picking apart the decay of the studio or previous paintings to find a clue for the next body, or taking on the role of a surgeon to reconstruct and build a solution. This is how I fell into my imagery, the start of each painting. It’s like getting a cut as a kid; the usual blank stair and mesmerization when the skin opens, a quick assessment, then a traumatic response, yet playing with the cut later, picking the scab. It’s all about the allure within the unsightly, the scab that’s picked off and examined. Held up to the light making a beautiful crimson stained glass window of blood. I feel it is important to maintain the balance of allure within the unsightly. The tactility of my work plays into the tangible nature of life where everything is transient. I am interested in the body and how ultimately in the end it is only form and meat.

EDUCATION

BFA in Studio Art: Panting, University of South Florida, 2011

EXHIBITIONS

2011 Under Epidermis (Solo), Oliver Gallery, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida

2009 Drawing Exercise, Oliver Gallery, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida

2007 Scrolls, Oliver Gallery, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida

2006 Scholastic Awards, Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

2005 Scholastic Awards, Young at Art Children’s Museum, Davie, Florida

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

2008 Assistant Instructor and Mural Painter,
Young at Art Children’s Museum, Davie, Florida

2003-2007 Childcare Worker with a focus on creative development,
Bright Beginnings Preschool, Davie, Florida

Email

...

Phone

954-495-0076