What is my work about?
My work often changes materials and form, but has a constant vibration through it. The work here is mostly paintings with sculptural elements to them. I often see them all as paintings since there definitely is one optimal side for viewing them even in the large free standing pieces. The constant vibration is the visual language I use. Collaging materials and actions such as cutting, puncturing, attaching, sequining and draping. I use my visual language thats formal and conceptual as a way to explore the idea of performance. I’m interested in the culture of performing your identity, be it gender, race or just attitude.
Artist Statement
Often times popular music influences my practice sometimes as a place to start making pieces, while making the larger chain pieces (image 1 and 2) I was listening to Lil Kim’s Hard Core album and became obsessed with Lil Kim’s strange feminine/masculine persona that is intensely sexual and aggressive. She adopts this very macho role by flipping the gender in her lyrics. Instead of lyrics being derogatory to women like most rap, she flips it towards men. She ends up existing in this strange place of gender that can be seen almost as drag and as a failure in a feminist view. I admire this place she occupies yet don’t completely agree or understand it. I wanted to portray this idea of put on aggression in the sculptures. Their size being larger than the body the heavy chain welded and manipulated to stand on its own. I also wanted to complicate this aggression with the delicate draping of the jersey sports fabric and the awkwardness of the hand sequined rose that also has seductive qualities.
In the text piece (Image 19) I was influenced by the language of R&B lyrics such as Usher “Scream” where he repetitively says baby in a very catchy hypnotizing way that kind of drags on. The chain gives literal heaviness to the word baby and drags it out. The piece also shows my annoyance and fascination for the word baby that can be used as such a belittling word for women, a term of endearment, or even a role to play.
Pop music and pop stars have always been a fascination of mine as something to examine and study since a young age. My father, who was a music producer in the 80’s, would always tell me to examine music more closely as well as the image of a pop star. I never had an interest in making music or doing anything in that business, but it always enters my work as a way of examining identity and persona of myself and others.
The imagery in some pieces are signifiers for ideas that grow through pieces. The rose image started as a fascination with flowers being a placeholder for femininity, preciousness, and beauty, but can also be seen as cheesy and frivolous. I wanted to simplify flowers to the base image of a clipart rose which might be seen on online.
This imagery entered the newer pieces as grey roses printed on transparency ( seen in images 3,4,5). They are paired with simple, intuitive airbrushed marks and simple gestures of tying and draping as a way to admire the beauty and cheapness of the roses and the marks.
I find the newer, more abstract pieces (images 8 tough 18) deal more with the idea of mark making and a false sense of delicateness. Most of the marks are hidden and done on the backs of the piece and are only able to be seen because of the use of transparency. These formal decisions relate to the idea of playing the role of femininity/female gender. Chain has been paired with delicate jewelry chain. Channeling the role of oppressiveness and adornment. Even the zip ties and grommets can be seen as adornment but also as these practical techniques of binding materials together. I’m interested in this idea of what you wear or don’t as a statement of who you are and aren’t. I like the idea that you can easily attach your identity, that it’s this malleable thing where you can show parts and hide others.
As my work changes and morphs from material and medium. It always tends to be based in the conversation of performing and appearance. Not always giving everything at once even in the most minimal forms. Although these pieces don’t depict the body, they definitely relate in size to the body and tend to always concern themselves with the female body/persona.
CV
Education
2013
MFA Visual Arts, Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts
2010
Postgraduate Diploma of Fine Art, Virginia Commonwealth University
2010
BFA Painting Pratt Institute
Solo Exhibitions
2014
Raque, Welcome Screen, London, UK
Group Exhibitions
2013
Congregation Curated by Sheila Pepe, 106 Green, Brooklyn, NY
Hollister @ Fitness (Untitled), Volume I, Fitness Center for Arts & Tactics, Brooklyn, NY
Le Weekend, MakeShift Studios, Brooklyn, NY
¯\_(ツ)_/¯, White Box, New York, NY
Dim Sum, Mason Gross Galleries, New Brunswick, NJ
2012
Sex on The Beach, et al Projects, New York, NY
Welcome Back Show, Mason Gross Galleries, New Brunswick, NJ
2011
99% Wizards of Change, Mason Gross Galleries, New Brunswick, NJ
Middling, A Weekend of Muted Spectacle, Gowanus Ballroom, Brooklyn, NY
Mediation Group Show, Macdougal Space, Brooklyn, NY
2010
Agent Form, FAB Gallery, Richmond,VA
Low Expectation, The Apartment Gallery Night, Brooklyn, NY
13 Artist, S.E.A. Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Awards
2011-2013
Teaching Assistant Fellowship, Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts, NJ