Fine Art Studio Practice

Artist Statement

          My artwork explores themes of American national adolescence in relation to individual growing pains of maturing, and masculinity in regards to social roles, sexual identity, insecurities, and violence. The work is often creepy and whimsical using boyish subjects weighed down by the expectations within contradicting American values like hard work, freedom, and heritage. It is guided by a facetious approach to dichotomies and opposites, purposefully embracing comedy and naivety as a conceptual and visual crutch. I try to be emotionally honest and artless, referencing my own childhood obsessions within a self aware romanticized narrative of who I am versus who I have wanted to be. The work also carries the baggage of familial legacy, and uses that as an insight into sustainability, artistic individuality, and death.