STATEMENT
My work revolves around two major themes, the exploration of the impact of social media and advertising on self-identity and the definition our bodies through the lens of American politics. In my first major series, I explore the amalgamation of elements from American advertising, product packaging, literary narratives, and mythologies, intersecting with queer culture. This fusion gives rise to dynamic compositions that not only capture the contradictions and challenges inherent in navigating a world inundated with information and imagery but also specifically address the commodification and exploitation of bodies within the capitalist framework. Each piece serves as a catalyst for discussions on the ever-evolving standards of beauty and the nuanced interplay between nostalgia and the violence of capitalist exploitation.
In my most current series, I attempt to shed light on how the current political landscape in America, characterized by a concerning surge in attacks targeting queer and women's bodies, influences our vision of our selves and our bodies. There has been a growing call in our society to define the body within binary terms—seen in American media and in everyday life. My own body finds itself under constant scrutiny, its performance of gender continually assessed and tested. This constant scrutiny has effected my paintings imagery, now there exists within them a shifting mass of bodies, asking questions of the viewer about its identity. Through these works, I invite viewers to reflect on their own relationships with social media and its profound influence on self-perception and the commercialization of identity. My overarching goal as an artist is to employ painting as a tool for exploration, critique, and subversion of dominant narratives that commodify and exploit bodies within the socio-political system. By disrupting conventional thinking, I aim to challenge viewers to question assumptions about beauty, power dynamics, and representation in the digital age, particularly in the context of the intersection between queer identity and capitalism.
In my most current series, I attempt to shed light on how the current political landscape in America, characterized by a concerning surge in attacks targeting queer and women's bodies, influences our vision of our selves and our bodies. There has been a growing call in our society to define the body within binary terms—seen in American media and in everyday life. My own body finds itself under constant scrutiny, its performance of gender continually assessed and tested. This constant scrutiny has effected my paintings imagery, now there exists within them a shifting mass of bodies, asking questions of the viewer about its identity. Through these works, I invite viewers to reflect on their own relationships with social media and its profound influence on self-perception and the commercialization of identity. My overarching goal as an artist is to employ painting as a tool for exploration, critique, and subversion of dominant narratives that commodify and exploit bodies within the socio-political system. By disrupting conventional thinking, I aim to challenge viewers to question assumptions about beauty, power dynamics, and representation in the digital age, particularly in the context of the intersection between queer identity and capitalism.