Statement
Artist’s Statement
I became interested in multi-media projects when I began experimenting with the union of art and technology. I created an installation called “See My Voice” that addressed the disconnect of interpersonal communication in the wake of electronic devices. The images are large, still photography images fitted with a designed sound unit that operates in the presence of a viewer. Because the sensors need to be calibrated according to the exhibition space; each exhibition is site-specific.
My work’s interactivity illustrates moving forward while standing still. This dichotomy expresses the need to recall past events in the face of current ones, triggered by nuanced memories. The large images allow the viewer the possibility to step back and take in the images; and the sound, which plays only upon crossing a sensor, is in some cases, spoken word, in others, ambient sounds from the natural environment. The balance of the two is an interplay I share with my viewer. My other installation works, “Steel Ice & Stone”, “Finding The Sky” and other works in progress follow this trajectory of expression.
Another branch of my work involves the practice of communication design. Here, I work with typography, composition, and minimalist shapes to again, ask the viewer to examine deeper layers of ideas and event. A large series of print works, “Democracy Spoken Here”, confront the United States public discourse in an increasing turbulent political era. Works from this series—serigraphs, letterpress and RISO prints have been exhibited throughout the US and published in international publications.
A central preoccupation of all my work is to examine what is often overlooked or dismissed. I hope that my work provides people with an opportunity to look anew at something they may have missed or remember something long forgotten. My work aims to awaken memories or link associations and reconnect with a more nuanced understanding of one’s surroundings.
Finding The Sky
Finding The Sky is a work in progress. It’s the story of a 100-year-old resident’s life in cow town on the Colombia-Panama border. The remoteness of his environment has left its culture and history largely undocumented; only recently have initiatives begun to explore the elements that make up this remote corner of the country. A series of images, video and sound footage interweave with archived material through augmented reality software on a viewer’s device. The viewer can experience the passage of time and consider the effects—significant or not—it has had on this individual and his hometown.
The area has a long indigenous history of advanced agricultural projects, fine metallurgy and a large trade exchange that was decimated by conquest and disease. Political strife and waves of exploitation took their toll, however the fertile land allowed pastureland to sustain a large cattle industry. The inhospitable climate and difficult terrain isolated the area from cultural centers in the interior and further east on the north coast of Colombia, making this environment ripe for exploration and documentation.
In addition to their saliency, all artworks must now take a much more personal form because they are experienced intimately, and on demand. What makes this work different from my previous projects is that I am utilizing the sphere of augmented reality to present the work’s concepts. The past and the present are experienced at the same time. The interplay of sensorial stimuli allows the viewer to see the evolution from their device, rather than an exhibition setting. Such a personal experience relates to all my work: time travel through nuanced memory.
Democracy Spoken Here
Democracy Spoken Here: Message, Typography and Politics is a typographic art piece. It is an aesthetic response to a political challenge; how an expression of historical import can be rendered more visible by expressing it typographically.
Ultimately, it is a response to a period of political turbulence.
The continuous assault on our democracy is at the heart of this work. There has been general unease in this country for decades, but its voice reverberated, united by the internet and an unrepentent demagogue as its leader. Not a single human right has been spared of angst since 2016.
The font Clarendon displays prominently in this work. It was adapted for use extensively in the American West while undergoing continuous refinement for printing newspapers in the East. I’ve used it as the font to set all the type in the project and prints from this project have been exhibited in museums and exhinitions throughout the United States, a sign that the crisis wants to be examined; discussed.
Steel, Ice & Stone
Steel, Ice & Stone is a multimedia installation designed to prompt reflection on the power of sensory media in reviving nuanced memories. Inspired by personal experiences, the project explores the significance of recalling past events, especially when the physical elements of those memories are irreversibly lost.
The piece originated from my attempt to understand my sibling's decision not to undergo treatment for a brain tumor that ultimately claimed his life. In grappling with this choice, I found solace and understanding through revisiting his grave in a natural cemetery years later. The interaction with the humble stone, surrounded by ice and framed in steel, triggered a profound experience where bird songs and distant machine sounds filled the air, symbolizing the healing of our bond.
The core of the installation lies in creating a setting for viewers to traverse, surrounded by oversized images and soundscapes of heavy machines and birdcalls. Abstract photographs of steel, ice, and stone, suspended from the ceiling, form a maze for the audience to navigate. The soundtrack, a blend of natural birdcalls and machine sounds, plays from sensor-triggered units strategically placed for this immersive experience.
Through this environment, I aim for viewers to engage with the abstract images and sounds, invoking distant memories from their own lives. Metaphors are employed to convey the intangible, expressing the paradoxical sense of moving forward while standing still. The dance between large, still images and subtle, time-based sounds encapsulates the delicate balance that I share with the audience, encouraging contemplation and introspection.
Synapse
Project/Synapse, renamed to Synapse, comprises a collection of large panoramic landscape images of the American landscape to convey introspective themes. Delving into the depths of memory and association, I grapple with the sensation of diminishing optimism as youth slips away.
With no familial ties and a tenuous connection to the present, my livelihood as a print producer—my means of supporting my artistic endeavors—plummeted suddenly. Each day felt like a slow-motion descent into uncertainty, with every setback eroding my sense of self.
Unable to articulate these sentiments through conventional subject matter, I turned to capturing abstract concepts and emotions through photography. Continuously shooting, I developed a visual language to articulate the existential weight of a fading existence.
In the company of discarded remnants, I traversed landscapes: junkyards, freight depots, dry docks, and abandoned factories. Seeking inspiration, I ventured to Oklahoma, a place unfamiliar to me, in search of images that resonated with my inner thoughts. I pursued the curvature of the earth, symbolizing the pursuit of freedom.
Richard Wollheim, a critic and philosopher, explores the interplay between physical objects and their symbolic representations. He posits that the intent behind an image transcends its visual appearance, emphasizing the significance of the artist's intentions. This notion underscores the subconscious emotions embedded within artworks, which both the creator and viewer share a profound connection to.
Synapse serves as the conduit between my personal experiences and the imagery I utilize to express them. It is a bridge, a synapse, projecting the essence of my emotions and inviting viewers to perceive and empathize with them.