Pretentious Print

Whether I'm collaborating with Jodi Lightner, or working solo, my work often centers on the figure. I’m fascinated with how we reveal our emotions through subtle nuances, like a flexed toe or sideways glance. And how we reflect our standing in contemporary society through personal choices, such as what we wear or our chosen surroundings. By acknowledging these non-verbal signals in my work, I focus on that which is common to us all, the search for acceptance in society. ––– While my work often reflects personal experiences to tell a story, ultimately the subject matter is universal. Beyond focusing on the figure, I’m interested in discovering the surreal space between believability and improbability. I achieve this sense of paradox by combining implausible elements, and mixing rendering modes. ––– To further emphasize the difference between rendering modes, I asked grad school colleague, Jodi Lightner (Assistant Professor of Art, MSU-Billings), if she'd consider working in collaboration with me. I sensed that our different styles and preferred subject matters could complement each other’s work with contemporary results. ––– Because Jodi and I found ourselves simultaneously adapting to new environments and attitudes after graduation, we seized the opportunity to collaborate in the series of paintings: Reinventing Self. The series reflects on the physical and emotional reactions we each experienced in our different spaces – me in Portland, Oregon, and Jodi in Billings, Montana. The works show how new challenges became opportunities to adapt or reinvent one’s self. When we combined our different styles, the surreal space heightened, a sense of paradox prevailed, and a surprising stylistic approach began.