ARTIST STATEMENT
My themes from 1999 to 2004 concerned the female body, specifically in relation to beauty. I felt an extreme ambivalence toward beauty both within art and within the culture. I distrusted the notion of beauty while fearing its power. While historically the female body has provided a perennial image of artistic beauty, the female image is now fraught with difficulty. In a variety of drawings, sculptures and installations I wished to celebrate women's bodies as sentinels of personal power, self-worth and self-nourishment, not seen as degrading enemies to self esteem and personal pride.Since 2004 I have been exploring portraiture, both human and equine. Initially working with horses, I found that, while appearing tranquil and domesticated, they remained wild, mysterious and unknowable. Although traditionally the horse has signified both power and freedom, I wished to portray the qualities of tranquility, equanimity and softness in my drawings.
In the 11 paintings for the exhibition "e•strange", I tackle the isolation and absorption of the generation dubbed "the intentionally disengaged". I have juxtaposed images of youth and contemporary popular culture with a more historical portrait painting tradition, the equestrian portrait, celebrating both the disjuncture and the resonance between them. In my current work for 2011/2012 I am working in both painting and installation and continue to address the theme of communication vs. communication devices.
