ARTIST STATEMENT
My works deliberately eschew partisanship, didacticism, and bias, serving as neutral critiques of the landscapes and lifestyles fostered by modern American-style capitalism that extends its influence over an ever-expanding swath of the globe. Many of my works are carefully crafted collages, meticulously edited to capture the quintessence of contemporary ideals in landscape, setting, or place. I keenly observe how discreet and asymmetrical power structures contribute to the increasingly homogeneous topography of our world today. While the modern landscape inevitably reflects political, economic, and social forces, these influences often remain implicit. Rather than making explicit works, I prefer to suggest, allowing viewers to draw their own conclusions. My practice also delves into the psychological mechanisms of memory and how shapes, colors, and textures intertwine to evoke emotions and recollections. My creative process mirrors the formation of mental images, assembling selective fragments from experience and imagination to construct my compositions. I relish the freedom to shape my own narratives, rather than relying solely on what ready-made scenes I can find.
As an artist captivated in the transforming landscapes of industry, workplace, labor, leisure, and their interactions with nature, I find photography to be an ideal medium to convey my ideas because its form requires deliberate observation. Throughout my work, I explore the impact of human activity on the environment, examining how economic forces over time shape the landscape through land use and architecture. History works similarly to a hard disk that is in a constant state of reading and rewriting. I'm interested in the ways in which this is expressed on the topography of the land. I also examine how the natural landscape eventually reclaims its history over time. My works delve into the functionality of spaces, probing not only their aesthetic appeal but also their conceptual underpinnings.
My artworks endeavor to captivate viewers with a haunting beauty, drawing them in with visual allure, only to confront them with deeper, more intricate themes. I strive to stir viewers into active participation rather than passive observation, urging them to scrutinize the concealed power dynamics shaping the superficial appearance of the landscape. As viewers are initially entranced by the aesthetic pleasure my works offer, they may later realize the potential for human suffering underlying the scenes depicted. This realization can trigger a sense of discomfort or even offense, prompting viewers to engage critically not only with the subject matter but also with their own perceptions. In this way, my art inspires active participation, encouraging viewers to deconstruct the underlying power structures woven into the fabric of the landscape, thus transforming the act of viewing into a profound intellectual and emotional experience.
Drawing extensively from art history, my creative journey is imbued with the influences of the New Topographics movement, the disciples of the Bechers from the Düsseldorf School, and the photographers who spearheaded the American color film and large format camera revival. As a devoted collector of monographs, I derive inspiration from a vast array of artists and photographers, ranging from the pioneering vision of Alfred Stieglitz to the meticulous compositions of Albert Renger-Patzsch and the contemporary explorations of Victoria Sambunaris. Beyond visual arts, my work is enriched by literary, documentary, and cinematic influences, encompassing the narrative depth of Charles Dickens, the investigative lens of Errol Morris, and the evocative storytelling of Todd Solondz. I draw upon the surreal perspectives of Giorgio de Chirico, the psychosocial introspection of Edward Hopper, and the transcendent beauty of Caspar David Friedrich to infuse my art with depth and resonance. Additionally, I explore the color theories of Josef Albers and the techniques of color field painters, integrating their insights into my visual compositions to evoke emotional responses and provoke contemplation.