Artist Statement
As a formally trained Designer my sensibilities are influenced by exemplars of Modern and Postmodern Design, like Saaranin, Reitvelt, and Venturi. I interpret and fill client briefs, utilizing my expertise to help their ideas meet fruition. However, as an Artist I’m afforded both an outlet of self expression and reflection. These expressions of weltanschauung, shaped by my experiences and studies, form my artistic oeuvre; wherein I explore classic struggles of man v. society and himself. I project these struggles through a lens of absurdism, influenced by Camus and Kafka, focusing on themes of isolation and the search for meaning. In my practice I use a range of materials, from traditional to digital, selected to reinforce an idea or to pay homage to historical sources of inspiration. For example, in a stop-motion animation crafting characters in clay allows for greater expressiveness and further compliments the filmic medium's presence of human touch. Conversely, utilizing three-dimensional rendering software to animate a subject will further convey its mass-manufactured or homogenous nature. I believe material selection is a balancing act of recognizing virtues and transcending limitations. With my work I want to find a place in people's imaginations, for my curious characters confronted by all too common situations.
|