Friend or Foe?

This body of work earnestly and humorously reflects on the emotional and physical aspects of the human condition and its twisted ironies. The images are born of a fascination with the most “unmentionable” yet ubiquitous human characteristics and the absurdity of long-standing gender expectations. Through a tongue in cheek lens, I examine the plight of everyday humans who are largely worried, embarrassed, disappointed, and burned-out. I consider my recent works as introspective self-portraits that aim to shed light on the untold internal monologues with which we are so often preoccupied. My artistic practice is driven by a love for the physical act of drawing, and a desire to create images and objects that provide peculiar emotional and sensorial experiences. The imagery is fueled by humor and spontaneity and is filled with an inventiveness and ambiguity of subject that ranges from cheekily adolescent to darkly absurd.

My work has long been influenced by a wide range of art, music, TV, movies, etcetera emerging from the 1920s to 1960s, despite being born in the late 80s. I grew up watching cartoons from Fleishcer Studios including Betty Boop, Bimbo, Felix the Cat, Popeye and others. I also draw inspiration from a range of blues and jazz artists from the 1920s to 40s like Lil’ Johnson and Cats and the Fiddle, who produced songs with titles such as Hot Nuts and Sam, the Hot Dog Man. These influences play an important role in my work which has been described as evocative of “the atomic and plastics age of the mid-century.” (Michaela Mullin, Moberg Gallery.) Through an earnest, rather than ironic, use of the vernacular my work acts as a humorous unifier, and stresses the importance of inclusion and personal expression in a world where so many feel voiceless. I possess a keen desire to connect with human beings of all kinds, and a distinct affinity for the absurd and scatological that manifests as self-directed satire and invites the viewer to relate. The imagery is fueled by humor and spontaneity and is filled with an inventiveness and ambiguity of subject that ranges from cheekily adolescent to darkly absurd. Through my work I aim to create sensorial and emotionally peculiar experiences that mimic the humorous lens through which I look at life and underscore the power of empathy.