My Artist Statement

Below is my artist statement for this semester. I've thought long and hard about this and I'm ready for the upcoming residency in January.

Artist Statement

The military trained me to look and act in a certain fashion, and compliance brought me rewards. Time spent in the service has had a lasting effect on me and I want my art to communicate this experience and my perception of the military. My experience in the Navy has created a great sense of pride, but also bitterness towards military requirements stifling my individuality through subservience. I translate the pride and enjoyment found in the structured military lifestyle, but at the same time I juggle with the bitterness and resentment I feel towards the military by employing fragile and inedible mediums and exaggerated, misleading color palettes. I emphasize the idea of the individual and the cherished medals and ribbons through the deliberately introduced imperfections.

My paintings, sculptures, installations and photographs have similarities through size, color and repetition. I create a commentary on the removal of an individual’s identity by incorporating mass-produced readymade items. The conclusion of military service returns the individual’s identity, and I represent this in my work through rugged hand-made objects. My paintings, ceramics, wax and enamel allude to the notion of non-conformity within the military system through blemishes and a child-like quality that realistically identifies the people in our military. By focusing on symbology through small military accessories, I experiment with the playful and memorable moments during one’s time in service.