Artist Statement
I am interested in the interactions between people and nature, and how the creation of our sense of self is connected with the natural world. My work depicts monumental nude, queer figures in landscapes that are both idyllic and tinged with danger. It wrestles with ideas of traditional fertility and queer intimacy. Queer people are often not afforded the luxury of "permanence" in society, and are viewed as "unnatural". In my work, the figures become a part of the landscapes on different scales of time: the fleeting lives of wildflowers, the multi-decade lives of trees, and the eternity of the mountains and ocean. This work expresses the idea that there is a “naturalness” to nudity, to sexuality, and to queerness that is as elemental a component of the landscape as rocks and trees. My work begins with drawing landscapes en plein air and drawing models and friends from life, as well as some self-portraiture. The immediacy of drawing from life allows for more intuitive compositions and color choices, and more freedom for distortion and playfulness with form. I draw from a wide range of art historical influences including modernists, medieval tapestry, millefiori glass, and WPA era muralists. My work explores personal as well as mythological and historical narratives, situating queer figures and queer relationships within the context of stories told since the birth of the natural world.
