What issues and concerns inform your artmaking practice?
The issues that most inform my art making process are the self-destructive cultural and
social trends we have created, how exactly they came to be, and why we continue to allow them
to pervade our lives. I am constantly thinking about the ways in which we interact with one
another. I am fascinated by how bizarre and often ironic our interactions are. These qualities are
present in many of the things we do, from mixed messages, miscommunications, and grudges
lasting decades, to “tests” seeing if our loved ones truly care, and pre-emptive emotional attacks
in order to preserve our own feelings against predicted harm. The list goes on. I think about why
we do these things, and why our society is set up in a way that discourages the free and
uninhibited expression of honest emotions. Basic human emotions such as empathy, compassion,
and vulnerability are first feminized and then ostracized, which brings up another one of our
society’s deep-seated issues: sexism. Our unhealthy habits are supported by a culture that we
have created, and the vicious cycle continues to perpetuate itself. I am also concerned with the
effect social media has on our interactions. I am certainly not exempt as I spend far more time on
social media sites than I would like to, but I do my best to think about the things I do and the
motivations behind these actions. It is so easy to create and wear virtual masks, choosing to
showcase only the most extravagant aspects of our lives or choosing to forego identification
altogether. This kind of anonymity allows people to interact online with a level of cruelty and
viciousness that should have no place in modern society. I like to think that many of these
behaviors are contrary to human nature, but that view is contradicted by the fact that humans
have, indeed, created them. This monster of a paradox is a major force driving me forward in my
desire to create art.
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