Artist Statement

As an interdisciplinary artist, I celebrate and honor the humble worker, bringing to light both their fascinating history and their significant contributions to our modern world.  So much of our individual and collective pride is anchored in the work that we have accomplished and it is on the backs of countless selfless workers that this has been achieved.  It is my honor as an artist to preserve the stories of these workers, ensuring their proper place in our hearts and minds.

Each piece I create depicts a specific worker, often in the act of their trade.  Whether lighting a lamp atop a tall bike, fitting staves together to make a barrel, or cutting ice blocks from a frozen lake, the paintings, murals, and sculptures that I create are meant to give the viewer a glimpse into the life of individual laborers and their daily toil. 

Methodical research is the genesis of each work, as I root each piece in historical accuracy.  Paging through firsthand accounts and weathered black and white photos, the life of the worker begins to be understood and then appreciated.  From this respect, a composition is born and ultimately, a new work is created.

In the vein of Giacometti, Dalí, and other surrealists that I admire, my figures are lanky and long-limbed.  I take this visual path to both delight the viewer with a bit of the unorthodox as well as give the worker a larger-than-life presence in the finished piece.  They are the humble champions of each work I create and their graceful gangliness is how they come to life in my mind’s eye.

A myriad of materials make up my mediums. First off, the sculptures are created from found antiquated tools and wooden remnants, nodding to workers of the past. Next, the paintings feature subdued hues achieved by using acrylic and collaged paper.  They rarely venture far from the historic character they convey and a sense of whimsy washes over the tattered-photograph feel of each painting, both telling something old and showing something new.  Finally, the murals in this body of work are more vibrant and often serve to renew an aging wall. They are painted using brushes, rollers and house paint.  Overall, it is this blend of new and old that I carry within me and express through my work, an old soul with a flair for contemporary expression. 

The work we do matters and through my art, I hope to show that.  Through honoring the humble workers of yesteryear, I give these laborers their due acknowledgment, preserving their stories for generations to come.