Still (Looking) II, 22" x 30", monotype
Still (Looking) V, 30" x 22", monotype
Still (Looking) XI, 22" x 30", monotype
As an artist I aim to make a strong visual statement about the non-tangible events and emotional states that I have experienced. Through metaphor, I seek to represent the nature of depression and addiction, which encompass loneliness, isolation, sadness, and longing. At the same time I want to suggest the shift from these emotions into positive growing experiences.
My work discusses the places I never thought I’d be, what I have lost, the person I became, and my growth. Because of viewers’ immediate empathetic response to the human body, I use the figure. The gesture of each figure conveys the emotion without the need of a certain identity. The relationship the figures have to the sometimes cavernous spaces mirrors my past internal feelings. As the wandering figures aimlessly explore the settings with no clear exit, a sense of hopelessness takes over. While these images are visualizations of my personal experiences of depression and anxiety, I am now able to move through the process of unearthing myself from those states.
Printmaking is the ideal medium to explore this personal archeology. Much of what I have gone through parallels the process of making an intaglio print. Working aggressively on the durable yet malleable surface of copper allows me to express those emotions by scraping, etching, damaging, and corroding the plate. What results is a gritty, textured and expressive image. Each print is created by the reworking of a previous image on the same plate, which provides an intense amount of layering and depth. Every image comes from the response to the previous experience, allowing me to make positive changes to the work. This process parallels the struggles of learning from our mistakes and choices in life.
