Artist Statement
In my work I explore how long periods of formation build into short violent moments. I consider how materials and subjects which have formed over vast expanses of time are torn from their origins and manipulated through the vehicle of sudden change and everyday violence. For example, I explore the implications of layers of rock being stripped away from mountains, how oil refineries burn materials that were formulated over millions of years, and how animals’ long histories of evolutionary development are altered by five cent bullets. This destruction by humans through time reflects an unsettling violence which permanently alters its victims.
Considering what it means for viewers to be voyeuristic in moments of fragmentation, I implement windows or alternative observers into scenes. In my paintings I connect and dismantle violent moments through isolated images, presentation of plains within planes, and abstracted organic material, and emphasize the participation of all agents in the image. This process emulates the building and interruption of memory as well as the displacement of time through impactful moments.
