My creative practice is woven with the spaces and places that surround me. I see the process of art making as a dynamic experience that involves exploring, observing, and conversing with the places I inhabit. A key element in my perspective is the idea that the body is similar to a sponge, absorbing and reflecting the world around it. Akin to the layers of the earth, these different aspects of the body are constantly exchanging with the environment and other people. I take in the energy and stories of my surroundings, and in return, I contribute my own thoughts, feelings, interpretations and actions to the ecosystem.
body mound interaction-photomontage
While engaging with my work I am sensitive to the hierarchical perspective that shapes reality. I ask myself how perception is shaped through context and relationship. The prevalence of valuing image over experience is a societal undercurrent that shapes our interactions with the world. This perspective extends not only to our interpersonal relationships but also to our interaction with nature. I strive to peel back these layers and dive into the depth of genuine contact and experience.
I collect images, sounds and things from my surroundings to create compositions that I trace, record and photograph to use as personal references throughout the process. Back in the studio, I use a variety of digital and analog approaches, including drawing, relief prints, mono-prints, embossing, photocopying, and photomontage to render the work in space.
field transactions-drawing series
A desire for the haptic propels me into drawing and creating new narratives as context for my work. "Body as Land," my recent publication, articulates a dialogue between the human form and the landscape. The narrative combines drawings, text, photography, and body imprints encapsulating the research and artistic output from my residency in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2021 interwoven with post-editorial collaborations alongside Guido Grosso of Studio 1993 in Argentina. The publication explores the editorial space as a conceptual framework stretching the boundaries of art, photography, and design.
Currently, I’m exploring the interplay between private and public spaces. This inquiry, set in two locations, governors island and my home/studio in Ridgewood, NY, delves into both physical and metaphorical layers, excavating the complexities that lie beneath family dynamics, cultural and social structures, architectural and urban landscapes, and the utilization of land.
Birds eye view of Governors Island, image courtesy of the New York Historical Society
collage & ink on paper