Derived from memory, my work makes space for a topic that has no room in everyday conversation. Imbued with catharsis and criticism, the setting is defined by windowless interior spaces, patterned tile floors, and empty walls. The paintings manifest as self-portraits that live in the realm of taboo and wallow in cynicism; often underlined by secondary scenes or breaks from the verisimilitude of the primary image.
I find that certain experiences from within psychiatric hospitals come to mind at unlikely times–walking on the bathroom tile wearing socks, touching a fabric that feels reminiscent of a hospital gown, entering a room with fluorescent lighting. Re-creating and re-interpreting these memories on low quality, torn canvas satisfies a need I feel to purge obsessive and defeatist ruminations. Though I often employ drawing techniques, oil paint combined with the occasional use of other media best serve this painting series. The materiality of oil paint at this approximately life-size scale lends the work to the realness and ethereality that I seek to convey the re-imagined, emotional memories.
My practice is a channel for grief and an outlet for the voices of my reality and history that yearn to have a place in the world. Repeated and excessive hospital stays at the highest level of mental healthcare may not be a common experience, but I have to believe that to some degree the work speaks to more universal experiences of isolation, transition, and woe. Beyond that, I hope that my work speaks to the profound and many-faceted pools of reality existing within every human. I do not shy away from the messiness and confusion; I do not feel a need to make sense of the pieces. There is usually no purpose to be found.
