studies for my senior show.

oil on panel 12"x24"

acrylic on paper 10"x15"
design for screenprinting

Artist Statement

Unconventional relationships are the base of most of my interest within my body of work. The relationships that I study are very personal and become a confessional investigation. However, portraying these relationships through a visual language, I depict the characters or situations in an unspecific way that lets each piece become more universal. The interaction that people share on a personal level is exclusive and strange to every person.

Within my entire body of work that investigates relationships, I have a smaller series that specifically explores the relationships that I have with men. In starting this investigation, I took a lot of inspiration from Tracey Emin’s confessional art pieces. What made Emin’s art interesting was her bold willingness to expose extremely deep and personal experiences. My current series explores past sexual relationships I have experienced.

My concept is currently manifesting itself in a series of oil paintings on panel. Each panel is representative of each man I have had sexual relations with. However, the imagery on each panel is layered, nude self-portraits. I chose to paint myself in explicit positions that still reference back to female nudes in art history. I enjoy the juxtaposition between historical female sexuality and my sexuality in a contemporary, postmodern society. It harkens back to painters using prostitutes or having love affairs with their models. The layers in each painting create a juicy and bodily quality that makes a grotesque yet erotic depiction of my body.

I want these relationships to be depicted as something very flippant and matter of fact. These sexual relationships are a part of my personal history and become nothing but factual after they end.