Open gallery
In my work I conflate idealized views and natural world disputes with our contemporary impact on the environment. Malthusian thought about population increases causing degradation of resources shared with other species as a model of individual human selfishness as the sole cause of loss of common resources such as the air, water, the oceans, or general environmental conditions holds no solutions. And research shows that self-interest of rational thinking species can motivate individuals to take care of shared resources. Recent behavioral observations of other species demonstrate some collaborative evolutionary behavior that is meant to care for the environment of shared resources. In Turtle Island the myths of man and the interdependency of the animals demonstrates their dependency upon each other even the weakest by human standards is responsible for protecting these shared resources and thus each other.
Each work is a response to environmental stressors including toxic pollutions, landscape modifications, and climate changes. Each of these components is a part of a larger whole; affecting others in ways such as overpopulation, extinction, difficult decisions and last resort actions. This series of works goes beyond the relationship between humans and the earth’s environment and resources, to examine the impact of the collaboration between individual species interacting and coexisting with one another. The world’s symbiotic relationship with each species and they with each other must not merely bring awareness to one another, but requires each to act in ways that creates harmony so that every action, from big to small, acknowledges its impact on one another for its utmost benefit. Passing blame although cathartic is directionless and fails to recognize the interweaving of all relationships between species.
I hand sculpt each piece from clay, leaving each stroke, push, and pull that my body has contorted the clay into. I solely wanted to express the movement and emotion thus I do not hide any marks. I strive to create majestic monuments of wonderful beings, and enhance the awareness of their significance by utilizing surrealism in a dream like world. I distort the environment accordingly to each piece. I aim to motivate others to view the world with an open mind and renewed perspective through my work.