Artist Statement
Reality is rarely what it appears, and what we think we understand is often just a story we tell ourselves. This is why I’m driven towards abstracting my subjects, even though I work in the reality-based medium of photography. Abstract art simply seems more representative of reality than literal depictions of the world.
My subjects are often intricate and messy, so I work to wrangle order out of chaos, to tell a tidier story. In doing so, I frequently change the subject’s story, from stone to flesh or from tree branches to fractal geometry. I suppose it’s not surprising that my creations often produce as much uncertainty in others as they dispel for me.
I use multiple approaches to achieve my ends in my photographs, including close framing, avoiding horizons, and subtraction of color along with the usual photographic cares of light, perspective and exposure. More recently, I’ve begun shaping my photographic prints in 3 dimensions using folding, curving and crumpling techniques to create unique “sculptural photographs” that further capture or accentuate the energy or gesture of a subject. I also use multiple pieces, along with mark-making and other materials, in installations to create larger, site-specific works.
Statements for each project or portfolio can be found on the Portfolios pages.