ARTIST STATEMENT
(a fabulously fleshy femifesto)
Spending a few minutes flipping through a checkout stand magazine or channel surfing the TV will likely yield at least one advertisement or article promoting a body altering product or regimen.
My work is an antithesis to the notion of body improvement, showing an alternate perspective of female sexuality and body image. The work plays with the taboo of showing fat naked women living in their own satisfied universe, blissfully unaware of cultural ideals about “proper” body types. My intention is to examine the notions of sanctioned and unsanctioned body expressions in the human species. My characters exhibit a multi-dimensional nature while participating in earthly life. My work asks: since humans are but tiny specks in a vast universe, why does taking up a few more cubic inches here and there matter? Animals in the work support the humans by mirroring unabashed action and reaction in their surroundings. After all – does the raccoon worry that her hips are too large?
While I use my own body type and musings as a launching point for the work, it is not completely autobiographical. I enjoy creating a cast of characters belonging to an unusual tribe. Who knows what they will do next?
My influences are disparate. I am inspired by Jenny Saville's depiction of female flesh as stacked tied meat. I also draw inspiration from the narrative work of local painter Lois Silver and her expressive cast of characters.
The materials in these works are simple: mat board, gesso, and oil bar. I draw with oil bar is used in conjunction with finger painting, scraping, and layering to create texture and detail. The rough quality supports a rebellion against perfectionism.
My work has been described as irreverent expressionism. My intention is to address weighty questions while the characters exhibit a lightness of being.