​“Family”

Two shapes feature in my work: a loop and a quarter-oval. Both are used to represent humans in an energetic way. A loop also references the mechanics of a sewing machine, which is what I use to compile my collages, and, when a loop is a line, I like how it differentiates an interior and an exterior. A quarter oval shape I see as a part of a whole, which is always searching for connection.
Family and its dynamics guide my work; our ancestry, which seems precious, is continually altered by the introduction of new people into a family (marriage, adoption, divorce, children out of wedlock, etc.) By collaging, I connect forms (or don’t), and the layers of shapes that ensue speak to the complexity of these familial relationships. In addition, I explore a tension that I experience when memories become burdened by personal ephemera. The sentimental action of saving letters and photographs raises such questions; do memories need a photo or a letter to anchor them and remain valid? Is there a point in saving what nobody seems to want? Through repurposing old artworks in combination with found objects (which include old book parts, family letters, surgical masks, used clothing, photographs, and residues from making art), I see transforming the artifacts - rather than preserving them - as a nod to my grief and acceptance that memories change and get lost over time. I seek to have memories become unencumbered - a notion I get more familiar with as I do the work and repurpose more family letters and photographs. The titles of my work are usually found within the work; old book pages and cut up letters provide a multitude of textual options.
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