Leaves rustle | 2021 - current
Leaves rustle:
These works, are inspired by imagining places that exist in in-between states of decay and new life. The works blend abstraction and representation, depicting amorphic organic forms with suggestions of the body. The landscapes appear interchangeable with bodyscapes and are interrupted by floaters, or micro-organisms, and blobs or depths that can seem both ominous and comforting. I use bright whites, dark blacks, earth and flesh tones with occasional flashes of bright greens, purples and blues. The colors connect to the earth, body and magic.
My process begins with imagining mysterious life forms that, like a virus or reproductive cells, are both living and nonliving. I imagine microorganisms that grow in a dark cave, or a force that creeps through the forest floor and lives on detritus. I think of outer space, the depths of the ocean, and how these vast spaces relate back to our experiences of birth and death. This exploration often leads back to the body, its vulnerability to illness and design to reproduce. Thus the imagery often points to reproductive organs, the vulva and male reproductive cells, and the bodyscape itself.
I use the natural fluidity in the paint and the wood to create the organic and natural forms. I cut a shape that reflects the images and forms I see, when taking note of the grain and natural patterns and knots in the wood. The paint is often watered down to highlight the patterns in the wood, while in other areas it is heavily applied to insert an invading or new life form. The canvas paintings share the same themes, but are more but begin with more self generated images.
The motivation behind these works is a fascination with the unavoidable cycles of life one encounters. There is a beauty in birth and tragedy and pain in loss. In loss, one searches for understanding and hope. These works seek to find the specific and uneasy beauty that only loss can create. I’ve found a morbid magic in imagining what is created, or what is left, after a loved one is gone. I imagine the regeneration that can come from my loved ones’ bodies and visualize how their spirits might live on. My work functions as a metaphor for hope and magic in the darkness of loss.