Artist Statement
In these current times, where we're faced with uncertainty, unkindness, and the unknown, we seek comfort in what we can. Some pieces of ourselves require solid ground to feel safe, while other parts are content with gently floating along with that which we cannot change. It's when we maintain the balance between these two things that we are able to persevere, continuing on in a comfortable pace.
This concept began as an exercise to explore ideas of ambiguous inside and outside space. I began to think of what I’ve longed for the most during these times, which is the ability to go outdoors and into the water. With beaches, lakes, and national parks closed, I find myself among the many that yearn to be out and enjoy nature. The comfort that I’ve had to settle with resides in memories of life before this situation, and the anticipation of when this would come to an end. When I think of these times, both the ones nestled into my memory and those that have not yet come to be, the scenes that I imagine are blurred and barely within my reach. I can make out figures and my mind begins to feel enveloped in the waves of water. The goal of my work is to preserve these memories, feelings comfort, and the unknown, drawing ambiguity to the past, present, and space.
These pieces are mostly made with charcoal derived from a camping trip during the summer of 2019, directly from the campfire that warmed my family and I after hours in Shaver Lake, California. We spent multiple days in the routine of waking up, having breakfast, and jumping into the lake as soon as the sun was hot enough. Each night we’d return to camp together and spend time around the fire. The grain in the charred wood allows for the intimate textures on gessoed paper to come through, which in itself provides the perfect surface to work with. The act of creating texture itself is where I’m most comfortable while making these pieces, as it allowed me to let the the charcoal speak for itself.
Park of my work seeks to preserve these little details of life and memory and to find something to ground myself--even when the entire world is at such an ambiguous standing--waiting for all to be in the clear.