artist statement.

Art is communication, and one of the most universal forms of communication is storytelling. When we want to explain something difficult, we use a story. When we want someone to take our side, we tell a story. When we want someone to like us, we tell a (hopefully endearing) story. When all else fails–stories can bring us together.

When I look at my art, I see stories. Even my product photography is not really about selling an item, but selling the story of the product—where it came from, or what it will do for the buyer. Implementing details that add to the greater story of an image are second nature to me.

I believe there are interesting stories everywhere, in everything, in everyone—even “my life is boring” is just a discouraging story we tell ourselves. In one photo series, floating., I literally elevate the mundane by portraying everyday moments infiltrated by inexplicably floating objects. In another series, I used a plain shirt, a hoodie, and a plastic anatomical heart to transform myself into an image of the Virgin Mary. These pieces alone–a wine bottle, a hoodie, a plastic toy—don’t hold much meaning. But put them in the right visual context and their meaning is transformed—they tell a story.