ARTIST STATEMENT

I’m interested in creating elusive sci-fi environments that address metaphysical issues and questions such as, the nature of being, god, space, time, identity, nature of minds in relation to parallelism and the correlation between opposites. My work is heavily influenced by contemporary surrealism, theatre, robotics, metaphysics and science fiction cinema. Being that my parents has always worked for NASA at the Space Shuttle Program in Titusville Florida has been an integral part of my narrative based installations and portraits.  I use my own image as a stand in for the human race in the portraits.

The portrait pieces represent the relationship between technology and humans taken from a metaphysical point of view. The action of projection in the portraits and installations signify mysticism, creation and light. In my mixed media sculptures and installations I am attracted to the contrast of the hand made object in a high tech reality because it creates spectacle and charm. It also illuminates a strange dialogue about pseudoscience, futuristic imagery, craft and a certain level of camp, (the kind associated with old, low budget sci-fi fantasy flicks). For example, when I visually experimented with faux versus real life representation; making a faux Mac laptop out of paper makes it about the hand made object in a high tech reality. Also, the process of duplicating life only enhances the discussion layers of parallelism and projection in this particular context.

I take direct inspiration from the camera lens and projectors for my pieces. I use science textbook illustrations and diagrams of the universe and gravitational lensing diagrams openly as references.  I’m specifically interested in the kind of technology that helps us understand the vastness of outer space. Using colorful yarn, cut paper, children’s toys and programs by Apple Computer, such as Photobooth, adds charm to an eerie atmosphere that pretends to be futuristic and/or sci-fi. In my new work I will continue to conceptualize my viewpoint on the elusive fabrics of being in space-time.