Artist Statements
I work in numerous historical disciplines to make contemporary calligraphic illuminations. I slither between working in “pure” traditions such as calligraphy, printmaking, book-arts and oil-on-panel painting, to the more materially uncertain territory of building bridges between them— alchemical assemblages of paper, pigment, precious metal, medium, herbs and else. I strive to use naturally derived and biodegradable (although often archival!) materials in alignment with being a responsible global citizen.
My contemporary illumination work directly engages the theory and practice of ecological relationship, systems of knowledge and magic, and mythologies that help us grapple with cosmic vastness, chaos and uncertainty. I investigate nature/culture dualism, and face my own hopes and skepticisms through these layered symbolic and totemic images, organic textures, and literary distillations. My strategies are grounded in both visual art and artful writing, privileging neither over the other— in fact I view the literary, the aesthetic and the sensory to be crucial partners in the development of my work, visual and otherwise.
My “Gaia Illuminations” reflect a deeply felt awe for our earth, sky, moon and stars. I am very inspired by the writing of James Lovelock, Bruno Latour, Donna Haraway, Derrick Jensen and Robin Wall Kimmerer, whose writing figures into my illumination work as well as my poetic and prosaic compositions written alongside.
The Aesthetics of the Felt World
My MFA Thesis Manuscript is bound and published by the Arcadia Fine Arts library at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. This writing and research continues, using the published manuscript as an outline for additional scholarship. New material and publishing opportunites forthcoming in 2019 and 2020.
