“I don't think art is propaganda; it should be something that liberates the soul, provokes the imagination and encourages people to go further. It celebrates humanity instead of manipulating it.”
-Keith Harring
ARTIST STATEMENT
My paintings are a means of communication, a meditation on identity and persona. The paintings portray figurative allegories of experience, thought and emotion. They allow me to express my reaction to issues about gender and sexuality, specifically concentrating on the idea of femininity. I wanted to clarify my questions and define my assertions about the fundamental role of femininity in today's reality.
My images are inspired by the experiences that are considered fundamentally opposed to the “accepted parameters” given to us by popular culture. We are constantly bombarded with the imbedded associations of popular culture's imagery. They operate as a teaching device, telling us what to think, how to look, what to believe and who to support.
I believe we are a visual culture and our identity is defined by the visual vocabulary we create. Most of my work focuses on the visual judgments that are propagated at an alarming rate in this contemporary society of ours. Only by honestly addressing the fractures caused by these judgments and assumptions, can we begin a dialogue and subsequent action that can initiate a broader understanding and acceptance.