Artist Statement
My art explores the balance of beauty and repulsion by portraying an abstracted and up close look at bodily elements. I am influenced by the theory of abjection in my work, and the transgression of boundaries in the day to day. I aim to illuminate elements of viscera in a light that distorts the ideal and normal imagery of the body. There are aspects of the body that are essential to human life, yet are often overlooked and rejected. I want to confront the viewer with a sensation of familiarity and intrigue while also evoking discomfort and disturbance. When confronted with physical truths of what makes us human and what it means to have a body, we tend to feel a sense of repulsion and a desire to reject these truths in our day to day lives. However, when we can take an up close look at these elements, and notice the difference in coloration, textures, and nuances we can begin to acknowledge the beauty of the bodily elements.
The materials I use are often non traditional and combine soft and rigid elements. I choose these materials to develop dimensions of texture in my work that give off an organic and visceral appearance. I work in layers to build up colors and textures that could emulate the layers and subtle color shifts within the human bodily elements. My process is influenced by the abstract expressionists and letting my body interact with the materials to create something that connects humans as a whole. The body is something that is so familiar to us as humans, yet the material truth of what resides inside the body is unfamiliar in the day to day.
The materials I use are often non traditional and combine soft and rigid elements. I choose these materials to develop dimensions of texture in my work that give off an organic and visceral appearance. I work in layers to build up colors and textures that could emulate the layers and subtle color shifts within the human bodily elements. My process is influenced by the abstract expressionists and letting my body interact with the materials to create something that connects humans as a whole. The body is something that is so familiar to us as humans, yet the material truth of what resides inside the body is unfamiliar in the day to day.
CV
Education
2016-2021 Colorado State University - BFA - Art Education
Colorado State University - BFA - Painting
Awards
2020-2021 Creative and Performing Arts Award for the Painting Area of the Department of Art and Art History at Colorado State University
Solo Exhibitions
2020 Mini Gallery at Colorado State University - Fort Collins, Co - “Unruly Bodies”
Group Exhibitions
2020 Mini Gallery at Colorado State University - Fort Collins, Co - “To Paint is to Learn how to Live”
2020 Bloom by Anuschka - Denver, Co - “Femme et Fleurs”
2019 Curfman Gallery, Colorado State University - Fort Collins, Co - “Annual Student Art Exhibition”
Publications
2020 Front Cover of Grey Rock Review, April 2020.
Fall 2019 Cicada Creative Magazine, Issue 2, December 2019, pg. 9, “Moment of Impact”
Spring 2019 Cicada Creative Magazine, Issue 1, June 2019, pg. 21-22, 51-52, “Cycles and Seasons”