Artist Statement

My interest is in “building” pictures, employing the abilities of materials that do not reside completely within the field of art to make two-dimensional imagery. Industrial or construction material, such as caulk, concrete and industrial tapes, integrate the material into my content, which has been, and continues to be, related to contemporary and historical labor and industry. In addition to the material and the imagery, the nature of these two components necessitates a laborious making process that is vital to the overall unification of meaning.

Though the content of my work originates from an autobiographical place, it is not limited to my own experiences, and is more about a shared identity that is defined by place and time. Born and raised in southeast Michigan, I have watched Midwest landscapes become empty and inactive. Because nothing comes to take the place of disappearing industry, the landscapes remain as they were: untouched monuments to a past that can never be realized again, where the places of work are unused and the skilled laborers are jobless. The empty spaces in many of my compositions are a reflection of the static nature of this subject matter.