Drawing from a variety of media, my body of work explores the polarity of American identity, seeking to navigate duality in both admiring the nation and condemning its faults. Each piece constitutes part of a greater ideological timeline, tracking the development of my identity in relation to the ever-shifting American political climate.
The idea of being American has always both excited and perturbed me. Growing up in Missouri as a child of divorced parents, I found myself frequently alternating between two vastly different urban and rural living environments. I was always overwhelmed by sentiments of proud Americanism when I visited my father in the country. Waving flags adorned front porches, vibrant fireworks reflected on open lakes, platters of freshly grilled hot dogs and hamburgers lined picnic tables—I felt a sense of patriotic obligation. Living in the city, however, evoked an entirely different feeling. Sounds of gunshots echoed throughout neighborhoods, cases of police brutality headlined news broadcasts, and walks of peaceful protest met vicious canisters of tear gas—I didn't feel so proud to be American. The polarizing environments in which I have grown up cause me to constantly question my identity as an American citizen: do I continue to love and appreciate a country that constantly damages and undermines the lives of its inhabitants?
My imagery addresses this polarizing question, utilizing the visually alluring aspects of American culture to create a social commentary on everything I find troubling about it. My work maintains a primary focus on generational ignorance, racial discrimination, restricted freedoms, and governmental neglect. Accordingly, my process involves researching and investigating American culture, politics, and history; I am inspired by past and present national affairs and afflictions, my reactions to which I translate into visuals. As the country evolves (either backward or forward), my art and ideology follow.
In terms of media, I primarily utilize graphite, acrylic paint, wood, and textiles. I find that these materials are versatile ones with which I can thematically expand on my subject matter. Specifically, I use wood to reference picket fences and suburban houses, cliches that constitute the American Dream. The presence of textiles in my work references the fabrics that make up the American Flag, and the profound significance they embody in representing the ideals of the nation.
I make art to reflect and reinvent, confronting the internal battle of being both an admirer and a critic of the country in which I live, and using that visual tension as a vehicle for inspiring societal awareness and change.
