I am drawn to depict subjects in intense moments of profound personal upheaval, the breaking of the psyche manifested in flesh.  By portraying acts of aggression and agitation, my drawings confront the raw and unfiltered complexities of the human condition.  The strenuous actions these figures engage in symbolize the breaking point, in which the only opportunity to be released from mental torment is through the physical.  Each drawing starkly shows an act of self-mutilation.  A figure’s face is rarely depicted, the gesture of the body emphasizes an overwhelming emotion.  We see the person in a pivotal moment, and they give no indication of stopping this self-inflicted disfigurement.  Through each of these drawings, I explore themes of vulnerability and suffering.  By carefully selecting point of view I intensify a sense of voyeurism within these scenes.  We watch the figures commit a belligerent act of self-mortification as a way to free themselves from their mind; a moment that would be done in secrecy.  The viewer looking in implicitly crosses the subject’s barrier of privacy.  A series of dead animals communicates harmful acts as well as they have no agency as to what is done to their flesh.  They are surrogates for fear, worry, love, innocence, and violence.  These drawings amplify the metaphor for suffering of the mind and body.

The interplay of light and dark is a purposeful style, using deep contrasts to accentuate the intensity of these bodily gestures.  The distinct highlights mimic that seen in a flash photograph and the use of tenebrism provokes the viewer to digest what is in front of them.  Charcoal, ink, colored pencil, acrylic paint, and yarn create texture, underscoring the tangible reality of our physical selves.  The images are mostly black and white, color is only present either through torn open bodies or in decorative crochet frames.  This focuses the eye to images of the grotesque, of bodies being ripped open and mangled.  Crochet frames imply comfort and care for the brutal imagery depicted.  A once approachable pillow or blanket-like object now adorns drawings of decrepit and deceased bodies.

I create deeply unsettling images that challenge the viewer to confront these figures in their most susceptible state.  These figures commit agonizing affairs as a means of release from the intangible extremes of their minds.  My drawings act as a sense of catharsis and reflection of the human psyche and inner emotion, inviting others to peer into themselves and delve deeper into the understanding of their own mind and body.