statement and practice

Astronaut, Cowboy, Soldier, or Hero—idealized statuses that draw the attention, respect, and idolization of many a young boy. Sat upon the edge of a seat, enthralled in the rugged individuality, stoic confidence, and altruistic feats, I yearned for the gravitas that came from those experiences. The embodiment of a life well lived. A life done one’s own way, successful, strong, yet ultimately alone. These experiences of childhood have guided my research as an artist through a multidisciplinary approach—combining paintings, printed materials, toys, and digital pieces—where my work investigates archetypes like the outlaw, the hero, and the explorer, that are so highly desired to be embodied in adolescence, and the consequences of failing to fulfill either a calling to those roles, or falling to self-delusion where one inhabits roles they are neither equipped for or purposed to.  These investigations are portrayed through the appurtenances surrounding Mid-20th Century aerospace technology, specifically the race to the moon through the Apollo space program.

NASA’s Apollo program, a program that embodied the essence of humanity’s bold ambitions, desire to dominate and win, and the (then) new paradigm of manifest destiny—stand as placeholders in regards to common tongue lexicon, iconographic and iconological meanings, and anthropological stories—creating the means of transmission between myself as the artist, and my audience. Meaning, the individuals, events, technology, language, and interactions are all stripped of their original explicit relational meanings, and used as vessels to be filled for my own narrative purposes.

This use of imagery engages with the complex narrative of said Mid-20th century aerospace technology as a metaphor for the contradictions inherent in the human pursuit of progress and self-actualization. Through this, the  people, machines, and events of the Apollo program are re-contextualized  as  vessels of both technological marvel and existential dissonance. Being that the spacecraft’s mechanical complexity embodied the pinnacle of human ingenuity, its ultimate failure to deliver a sense of meaningful transcendence speaks to the limitations of the theory of self-actualization. 

Practically, my work takes an interdisciplinary approach to properly utilize the narrative elements of the material and apply it appropriately to physical and digital media. My work starts with a story, guided by my own experiences and presented to the viewer in impersonal ways. Following, depending on the need of the narrative, I utilize things like handmade toys, either out of wood or metal, digitally designed and 3d printed, or created completely digitally to be enjoyed in the form of a retro game or short interactive novel. When a primary piece has been finished I continue by incorporating external and physical media such as short comics, ink and pen posters, watercolor pieces, or reinforcing imagery placed on items like skateboards, coloring books, clothing, bedding, or other housewares. Some items exist for the purpose of the imposed imagination of a viewer or child, and others as fictitious artifacts reinforcing the narrative, and worldbuilding that I create in original narrative pieces.

By distilling the Apollo spacecraft and its iconography into playful yet subversive forms, I attempt to critique the ideal of personal fulfillment and the absurdity of  the seemingly technological utopianism of the mid-century era. I intentionally reduce  forms within the artwork to create a tension, between a contrasting narrative and naive representation, presenting a more palatable yet ironic simulation of these lofty concepts. Concepts regarding where technological achievements are both revered and, simultaneously, rendered absurd through their detachment from their authentic human-object interface, being instead diminished through association with naivete, and personal narrative. Ultimately, my work seeks to uncover the failure of the space race to fulfill its promise of human self-actualization, offering instead a reflection on the disillusionment and isolation inherent in the pursuit of an ever-advancing, yet increasingly self-alienating, personal future.

Finally, I have a love for craft and materials, and indulge myself in the creation of many forms of fine ,commercial ,and mechanical arts. I seek to incorporate all forms of craft, historical and contemporary materials and methods, in as many forms as are fitting in the creation of this narrative space and for the viewer’s full experience.