PROJECTS
ICONS
This 10-piece series called “Icons” is dedicated to understanding animals as "others." Icons are more than just small images on screens. They originally represented images of devotion, depicting those revered "others" to whom people turned for spiritual growth or assistance. Animals, too, fall into this category of "others". As Paul Klee put it: “There are two mountains where all is bright and clear: the mountain of the animals and the mountain of the gods. But between them lies the shadowy valley of humankind.”
NO HERO
The Twelve Labors of Heracles. What if we take a superhero out of the picture and examine the fruits of his labors? Known for his inability to control his rage, Heracles may have seen ferocious "Nemean Lion" in a normal lion, the Lernaean Hydra" in a water snake, and the Erymanthian Boar" in a wild boar. Even some ancient writers questioned Heracles' victims' monstrosity. Humans have progressed from a desire to dominate nature (to defeat the "monsters") to a desire to accept and comprehend it.
HOMELESS BOUND
While working on this project I have been thinking about all the one-way journeys taken by those who flee war, violence, and persecution. On this boat, Noah is nowhere to be found. This rescue ship was entirely designed and built by the animals themselves. They chose to depart after discovering they were “other minds.” Those seen on the boat are largely characters from well-known fables and parables. Caught between worlds, these creatures learn to live together aboard their ark, free of human narratives. The Ant is attempting to repair his friendship with the Cicada, the Hare is polite to the Tortoise, and a lovely dialogue is taking place between the Wolf and the Lamb. The work is composed of smaller sections, each representing a chapter in a bigger plot. The work can be viewed as a series of pages or as a whole story.
HISTORY OF WRITING
Writing emerged from the realm of art. Historians suggest that graphic art began to "talk" around 5000 to 6000 years ago. It began to convey meaning through the transformation of images, such as a horse or an ox, into sounds, often represented by syllables. However, this transition led to a loss of immediate, direct comprehension that a picture provides. Countless writing systems emerged, many fading into obscurity, while others that remain today are indecipherable. These works are meditations on forgotten writing systems and the severed connection between signs and their intended meaning.
