I am interested in infusing a lack of lore with new lore. The unique diversity of the
United States has created a different experience then the development of a singular popular folklore found in other parts of the world. I find myself reclaiming brand new folklore with the hand of a populist, creating a new space for art in the rituals of daily living. I use local and historic popular ideals such as parades, idols, and costuming in a variety of media to open that door. I challenge viewers to create strange relationships with the work through the avenues of religion, irony, and humor, in both physical form and concept.
My Pennsylvania roots, local landscape, and area customs such as those of the
Pennsylvania Dutch are major sources of personal imagery and inspiration, as is the social development of the US. I am interested in the regional uses of fabrics and color as personal and local identifiers, as frequently used in uniforms. Sheep are often the main characters in my work and address my own strange link to Catholicism, the religion in which I was raised. I look to worldly Catholic image making and festival traditions when creating new pieces. The irony of merging these grandiose conventions with simple popular forms is the challenge I present. My work bridges a gap between the simplest definition of fine art and the most immediate, devotional physical expression.
United States has created a different experience then the development of a singular popular folklore found in other parts of the world. I find myself reclaiming brand new folklore with the hand of a populist, creating a new space for art in the rituals of daily living. I use local and historic popular ideals such as parades, idols, and costuming in a variety of media to open that door. I challenge viewers to create strange relationships with the work through the avenues of religion, irony, and humor, in both physical form and concept.
My Pennsylvania roots, local landscape, and area customs such as those of the
Pennsylvania Dutch are major sources of personal imagery and inspiration, as is the social development of the US. I am interested in the regional uses of fabrics and color as personal and local identifiers, as frequently used in uniforms. Sheep are often the main characters in my work and address my own strange link to Catholicism, the religion in which I was raised. I look to worldly Catholic image making and festival traditions when creating new pieces. The irony of merging these grandiose conventions with simple popular forms is the challenge I present. My work bridges a gap between the simplest definition of fine art and the most immediate, devotional physical expression.
