Artist Statement

As a collage artist, I search out images laced with memory using sources such as antique books, magazines, vintage ephemera, and other natural or manufactured finds. I aspire to create the enchanted elsewhere, a place of both recollection and possibility. A surreal world existing in a realm of neither here nor there yet appears oddly familiar as the stepping-stone to enter our beloved fairytales, fables, and myths. Through my art, I explore and reinterpret these familiar narratives through an intimate and personal lens. Often, my interest lies in the story's aftermath - the "after" in the "Happily Ever After."

The transformative aspects of paper have always captivated me. I could make magic with a simple and well-placed fold, an inserted tab, some glue, and a sharp scissor – whether via paper dolls, pop-up books, or paper dioramas. My studio is home to countless drawers of images and objects and, as of yet, unexplored magazines and discarded books collected over decades. My treasure trove of these images and sources is my palette.

I meticulously hand-cut and manipulate these objects and images, often supplementing them with painting, precisely layering, and frequently lifting them off the flat paper surface to create a dimensional narrative.

In my three-dimensional constructions, I explore the myths of iconic characters and the fables they are trapped within. These structures are primarily made of paper, which I paint, cut, and transform to mimic wood shingles, ceramic tiles, linoleum flooring, and even striped wallpaper. Mirrors can play an essential role in these constructions as a visual folly. By placing these miniature constructions under bell jars, there are no actual means of entry or escape.

In exploring these rich and timeless tales, "The End" may be merely the story's midpoint, and the rest is for us to discover.