Parallel Text
a combination of words and organized marks that specifically parallel my portfolio work, as well as tacitly encompass my artistic interests.
Intimate reflections on my complex cultural upbringing informed this body of work. Fragility and barriers play a significant role in each piece and undoubtedly reflect my childhood experiences. Grounded in narrative and shaped through metaphor, this work attempts to express the insecurities of a young boy, adopted from a foreign land and raised in the United States. Study of Faberge: Egg #2 is one such work. In this piece, an eggshell is encapsulated by a rather open silver cage. Through the stark contrast of the cold, rigid silver and delicate eggshell, a purposeful statement is made, something along the line of “I yearn to be touched, but please, wait, wait…I’m fragile.” It is these overly personal types of inspirations that I find continuously seep into my work - I am slowly learning to embrace them.
In this busy, crowded world we often live in a bubble, surrounded by people yet going days, even weeks without touching or being touched by others. I think that humans have a natural affinity for personal connections; we are social beings who crave touch, finding ourselves missing it in its absence.
My interest in the private and intimate connections of couples is the main premise behind this series of works. The objects attempt to express feelings that fall somewhere on the spectrum of emotional uncertainty and control, by way of localized isolation devices. In The Lingering Device for example, two fingers converge inside of a carved firebrick form. Once inside, only the tips of the two fingers meet; an intimate, tactile experience meant to emphasize the sense of touch in hopes of a lingered affect. Firebrick is a brittle material and in this particular piece, it furthers the implied notion of “moment”. Eventually, the lingering of the fingertips will stop - similarly the firebrick will inevitably crumble and the form will fade away.
Moments of my past. Insecurities within my present. An inability to easily put trust in others. These are all sources that inform the art objects I make - which deal with intimate interactions between people and indicate or reference issues of trust, vulnerability, and control.
I explore these notions by means of mechanically inclined objects rooted in the jewelry format; endeavoring to expose the often-dichotomous nature of affection and it’s geneses, my works are meant to function as instruments that simultaneously facilitate and hinder the very actions they are made for.
In my work, there is a want to get close, to touch, to feel the warmth of a hug, or the spark of a hand, but there is also fear and uncertainty for the dormant baggage that comes with such actions.
