Deterioration

My work often tends to function around themes of deterioration and how this can correlate to the human psyche. I find that darker tendencies are common within people but are often repressed due to the stigma that these traits are inherently bad. The infatuation of portraying positive emotions has slowly become a part of our current culture with the constant desire to promote a facade of ourselves in front of others. Instead I’m more drawn to negative characteristics of people, in a broad context, as these aspects of ourselves often contain elements of our true character. I find that the malevolent traits are important in encapsulating the idea being human in its complicated self-destructive form and these traits are something I seek to explore in more depth.

The exploration of different dilapidated buildings interests me initially due to their forms, their texture, their aesthetics and the overall thrill of discovery, although as I become more intimate with the surroundings it progresses beyond that. These relics work on the same ideas previously mentioned however in a more literal physical sense. The neglect of the location, that only continues to deteriorate with time, results in detrimental impacts on the surrounding environment.  It is a representation of the ignorance in our destructive capabilities.  The ambiguity that comes from trying to decipher the context of these buildings becomes an integral part of my ideas, heavily influencing the direction and themes of my work.

Though I mention more general notions of twisted characteristics my work tends to be semi-autobiographical as I’m looking internally to find my own dark fantasies which I can manifest in personas. They exist as caricatures of these emotions and fantasies, embracing their absurdity in a way that leaves an area for discussion. The vulnerabilities of the characters at times are a reflection of my own vulnerabilities. They often channel these fantasies in ways that tend to be more so self deprecating and slightly self destructive at time. This takes root in the Buddhist idea of suffering in which suffering is a crucial and essential part of life. In order to derive true happiness, one must understand what it means to experience pain as the pain exists to validate happiness. Therefore only through witnessing these extremities can we understand the importance of things we value.

Sculpture tends to be extremely important part of my practice as I want to use it to reinforce themes of other pieces of artwork but furthermore to elevate these ideas. I believe emulating the setting helps in establishing the mood of the piece and also creating a space for the work to inhabit that isn’t contrived. Creating films that are displayed in a shelf doesn’t make the work feel special to me as it is something that is easily replaced or portable. Instead I want to create sculpture that fit within the wider context of the previous work it is using to display and also the location it is displaying it in. The environment it creates is the limbo between the audience’s perspective and this space that the base of the piece exists in. This in turn helps to engage the audience with the work and connect to the ideas they present.

Narrative is extremely important and an indispensable part of my ideas. It’s about displaying a perspective in a manner that is easily digestible to a wider audience but also has the depth of progressive beyond through the input of the viewer. By presenting a narrative I am exploring my own thoughts and understanding my own character.