Artist Statement 2022

History is not linear; it is interwoven with present and future. I have always been fascinated by the effect of history on the present, and the way current events and decisions determine the future.  

My practice is rooted in process. I begin by painting on canvas. I then adhere the canvas to fabric, using thread and other materials to create the first layer. I cover and paste a sheet of paper to the surface of this first layer. Next, I paint and sand to compound and manipulate the distressed surface. I frequently tear away segments, collaging thread, rust, graphite, fabric, paper, sand, window screens, plastic sheeting, wood fragments and tar. I repeat this process several times. The final images are combinations of the faded, ghostly images of the initial layer that blend and merge with the bolder, brighter final layers.

This process conveys a vulnerability juxtaposed with dynamism. Manipulating and destroying in order to create the new evokes the reexamination of cultural legacies and historical events and their weight on the present moment in time. My most recent work focuses on the effects of global warming and the monumental changes that are about to occur for our children’s generations-- Global Warming.  

I admire and am influenced by Anselm Kiefer and Mark Bradford. Their monumental, multilayered, distressed surfaces are intriguing and complex. Their images speak to the personal effects of historical events on the artists.  The horrors of the Nazi regime on Kiefer, growing up in Germany post WWII, and Mark Bradford’s statements about the social and political structures that have disparaged the African American and other vulnerable segments of US society.