Painting has always been a cornerstone of my artistic journey, allowing me to express emotions and ideas through color, texture, and form. My work spans various styles and techniques, reflecting a deep exploration of both traditional and contemporary approaches.
My senior capstone at Colgate University as well as my honors project is listed here. Refer to my instagram page for other independent projects and stand-alone paintings as well as for more information on my exhibitions.
Vantage Point
DESCRIPTION:
oil on panel(2022)
“Vantage Point,” explores the development of emotional maturity achieved through a selection of disparate images representing principal aspects of the human condition. I am investigating issues of sexuality, mental health, and physical transformations that inadvertently lead to the symbolic decomposition of the past self through the process of establishing identity. Through wooden panels of various sizes depicting the human form, insects, inanimate objects, and frozen moments in time, I present an ever-changing narrative. While the current display of panels is an arrangement that relates to my personal identity, they can be moved around according to each viewer to allow an individualized reading. Images are typically isolated to show the hyper fixation of these objects or moments in time and how items that may seem insignificant can significantly affect someone’s self-identification. Repeated imagery of the fly relates to the process of decomposition of your former self, appearing in large and small quantities to detail the non-linear or irregular process. The imagery of “cleanliness,” for example, the dish soap bottle, relates to the desire to achieve a “perfect self.” Images of the contorted, bruised, or surreal body relate to both the literal interpretation of oneself as well as the mental exploration of what the desired or feared self could appear to be. I am inspired by surrealism, specifically the works of René Magritte and Frida Kahlo. I appreciate Magritte’s insertion of surreal elements in otherwise realistic paintings and Kahlo’s unusual placement of figures in dream-like environments. Ida Applebroog’s use of multiple canvases with seemingly unrelated Imagery was also inspirational to me when creating this piece. The fleshy forms and dramatic expressions of Alexandre Cabanel’s figures influenced the various parts of the body that I painted. “Vantage Point” allows for an external exploration of an internal process. The strange and intensely personal glance calls for the audience to reconsider their personal development from the safe vantage point in this gallery.
Menagerie
DESCRIPTION:
oil on panel (2023)
“Menagerie” considers the viewpoints of 10 individuals from a variety of backgrounds in order to gain a better understanding and deeper sense of the human experience. Through a diverse collection of objects that symbolically and more literally represent key moments in these individuals’ lives, I was able to investigate both overlapping milestones as well as a variety of unique experiences that covered more aspects of the human condition than I had originally anticipated. Through an assortment of 30 canvassed panels consisting of; 10 eyes representing the participating individuals along with two representative paintings per person, I investigated the complexities of marriage, death, and religion as well as occupations, family, and interpersonal relationships. The current display represents the intricacies of having an individual identity as well as the interweaving that our identities do among those around us. While each eye painting belongs to two representative paintings, the display randomizes these panels among each other to show how these pieces can take on a new meaning when in the context of a group. Similar to a menagerie, the 10 individuals that participated in this project are allowing the audience to take a glance into their lives as if it was an exhibit. The assortment of paintings range from more light topics such as a meaningful sport, to more harrowing topics such as abortion. While I painted my own experiences in the Fall, I had a unique position this semester to present these moments in meaningful ways while remaining sensitive to the topic matter. “Menagerie” continues on my exploration of emotional maturity through a semi-surrealist style in oil and delves into a new portion of the human condition that I am unable to portray alone; a sense of community. While each participant’s paintings represent their own life experiences, the collection as a whole represents how those experiences fit into a broader sense of being; how each isolated moment can take on a completely different meaning in the context of each other.