Artist Statement:
My work questions our connection to the natural world and how our perceived thoughts result in our interactions with nature. I deal with controversial topics typically centered around environmental issues such as environmental injustice, did you know that the neighborhood of Boynton in Detroit has been deemed the most toxic place in Michigan? My work is made to spread awareness and bring to light topics that often get overlooked like this. My intention is for my work to resonate with my audience, I do this through various tactics such as humor, layers of depth, and interesting design to provoke and engage them, causing them to examine my work further.
Throughout my work, I take inspiration from various artist, some of which are Laylah Ali, Mark Dion, and Barbara Kruger. Ali provokes her audience into digging deeper and finding your own meaning behind her work. While Kruger and Dion both inspire me with their subject matter, of protest art and political/social issues. These three, in particular, have been a major inspiration towards my own purposes in my current works. My aesthetic involves the use of elements like color and typography with an emphasis on simplicity. Flat design finds its way into my work frequently, its easy, clean, and doesn't overwhelm the audience. I often use scanned in materials as brush textures or subtle overlays to perhaps question the medium, or give a subtle depth without taking away from the simplicity of it all. I find that a limited color pallet works well paired with a highly readable typeface to create a simple, yet effective design.
I believe that the hand is lost in a lot of graphic design; my art is created with a variety of media integrations and techniques. With graphic design, in particular, mostly everything starts off digital and this is my response to that depersonalization in an age of technology. I feel that it not only helps to create more personal pieces but to stand out and create a stronger bond between the work and the audience. Instinctually as humans, we take care of things we feel connected to, my goal is to help my audience feel connected to these topics, and look at them from another perspective.
Regardless of the project, my process typically starts off with some sketching, laying my ideas out before me give me a sense of what direction I want to take, as well as what materials I may want to integrate. I often find myself starting off with some printed digital images, creating a piece through college, printmaking, or illustration. I then scan said image back into the computer and begin working on the design portion from there. The final product ultimately ends up back as a physical piece people can hold and interact with. I feel there is a sense of authenticity that comes from the dynamic combination of both forms that allows you to create an original work of art as opposed to simply just a design.