I have documented the world around me since I was 13. I strive to subvert both traditional documentary practice and narrative structures, revealing both their flaws and potential. I am a storyteller and documentarian, but ultimately I am more interested in dispelling stereotypes than representing a single perspective on reality.
My practice embodies activism -- seeking to enlighten the viewer and incite change or, at the very least, create awareness. My goal is to create transformative experiences for the viewer- which resonate beyond aesthetics.
Thematically, I explore notions of gender identity; biography and self; and land, memory and place. I work within a cultural and/or historical framework that ties together both personal and global concerns. I find inspiration from archives, both personal and public. I use these sources as a device to deepen the discussion about a given topic. I am captivated by the notion of layering-metaphorically, literally and conceptually.
I use devices that function to dissect/disrupt/disturb an image/site/story in the hopes of illuminating inequitable power structures. With this in mind, most recently, I am investigating loss narratives and local and global narratives of displacement.
I often employ the autobiographical format to explore larger issues, such as gender and class. In this way, I turn the camera on myself, expanding the documentary format to include self-documentation. For example, “First Breath/Last Breath”, a multi-channel photography/video installation attempts to immerse the viewer (in an emotive experience more impacting than a single photograph) in the narrative of life and death, to examine how medical sites become repositories for memories, of the most basic moments of living.
Similar conceptual themes are interlaced throughout all my projects despite variances in materials. I routinely learn an entire new set of techniques to support my concept. For example, I employ mixed media, text and image, photo-based collage and sculpture, digital photography, non-narrative video and multi-channel video/photo installation. Through creating transformative, emotive experiences for the viewer my continual hope is to enhance the viewer’s ability to empathize with the subject matter and create a greater emotional impact. Ultimately, I attempt to find beauty in the midst of the human struggle, while providing a passage for a multitude of voices.
My practice embodies activism -- seeking to enlighten the viewer and incite change or, at the very least, create awareness. My goal is to create transformative experiences for the viewer- which resonate beyond aesthetics.
Thematically, I explore notions of gender identity; biography and self; and land, memory and place. I work within a cultural and/or historical framework that ties together both personal and global concerns. I find inspiration from archives, both personal and public. I use these sources as a device to deepen the discussion about a given topic. I am captivated by the notion of layering-metaphorically, literally and conceptually.
I use devices that function to dissect/disrupt/disturb an image/site/story in the hopes of illuminating inequitable power structures. With this in mind, most recently, I am investigating loss narratives and local and global narratives of displacement.
I often employ the autobiographical format to explore larger issues, such as gender and class. In this way, I turn the camera on myself, expanding the documentary format to include self-documentation. For example, “First Breath/Last Breath”, a multi-channel photography/video installation attempts to immerse the viewer (in an emotive experience more impacting than a single photograph) in the narrative of life and death, to examine how medical sites become repositories for memories, of the most basic moments of living.
Similar conceptual themes are interlaced throughout all my projects despite variances in materials. I routinely learn an entire new set of techniques to support my concept. For example, I employ mixed media, text and image, photo-based collage and sculpture, digital photography, non-narrative video and multi-channel video/photo installation. Through creating transformative, emotive experiences for the viewer my continual hope is to enhance the viewer’s ability to empathize with the subject matter and create a greater emotional impact. Ultimately, I attempt to find beauty in the midst of the human struggle, while providing a passage for a multitude of voices.
