Figurative Work Statement
The synthesis of animal and human forms is a continuation of an ancient, ubiquitous tradition of transformative and shape-shifting creatures in mythology, story-telling, and art practices from the Ancient Greeks to the Native Americans, and every culture in between. According to Native American myth, there exists a time in the past where the boundary between people and animals was less distinct, allowing creatures to change form freely. Greek gods possessed the power to change into bird, animal, or human form, predominantly as a means of deception. There is a dualism that exists between the revered, and simultaneously, mischievous transformative power that is explored in these myths and survives in my figurative work primarily through the expression of the figure, placed between a space of veneration and apprehension.
As much as we desire to separate ourselves and romanticize our species’ greatness, we live in a world of relation. Obscured bacterial communities and intercellular signaling dictate our physical health and capability. Our connections to life and matter are equally important and complex. Interspecies hybrids carry supernatural, god-like veneers but they also, at times, inhabit an ominous territory. No longer merely fictitious characters, animal/plant/bacteria hybrids are blurring the lines between creatures with the development of mice furnished with human brain cells, pigs with human blood pumping through their veins, or soybeans altered to incorporate herbicide resistant genes. This research holds great promise for technological breakthroughs, but also carries an immense risk of disrupting fragile ecosystems, endangering health through cross-species disease transmission, and desecrating species integrity. My interest in hybrids sways between a place where spirits and fantasy dwell to where nature’s delicate balance and integrity are threatened.
The merging of creatures in my art is, primarily, an attempt at making connections that exist on a more abstract level visible, linking the human to other aspects of nature. As intricate as the connections and relationships may be that exist, they are not so visually defined as a human and animal combined in one real, physical body or an actual plant emerging from animal physiology. I am moved by the splendor of relationships and interested in unearthing these connections by building an obviously exaggerated union as a means to represent these more subtle relations that inhabit life. However, this exaggerated union has new meaning in our world that is ever seeking ways to exploit nature for personal benefit, or for mere novelty.
As much as we desire to separate ourselves and romanticize our species’ greatness, we live in a world of relation. Obscured bacterial communities and intercellular signaling dictate our physical health and capability. Our connections to life and matter are equally important and complex. Interspecies hybrids carry supernatural, god-like veneers but they also, at times, inhabit an ominous territory. No longer merely fictitious characters, animal/plant/bacteria hybrids are blurring the lines between creatures with the development of mice furnished with human brain cells, pigs with human blood pumping through their veins, or soybeans altered to incorporate herbicide resistant genes. This research holds great promise for technological breakthroughs, but also carries an immense risk of disrupting fragile ecosystems, endangering health through cross-species disease transmission, and desecrating species integrity. My interest in hybrids sways between a place where spirits and fantasy dwell to where nature’s delicate balance and integrity are threatened.
The merging of creatures in my art is, primarily, an attempt at making connections that exist on a more abstract level visible, linking the human to other aspects of nature. As intricate as the connections and relationships may be that exist, they are not so visually defined as a human and animal combined in one real, physical body or an actual plant emerging from animal physiology. I am moved by the splendor of relationships and interested in unearthing these connections by building an obviously exaggerated union as a means to represent these more subtle relations that inhabit life. However, this exaggerated union has new meaning in our world that is ever seeking ways to exploit nature for personal benefit, or for mere novelty.