In these pieces I am exploring the connection
between organic and synthetic by juxtaposing silhouettes of trees
and the hand-made patterns used in wall-paper, contact paper,
origami, and other found patterns. Here, decoration can be viewed
as representing the interconnection of nature and human existence.
My process involves methodical tracing and painting
in sections. This allows me access to a meditative state in which
my hand can make subtle, minute gestures and choices as I work.
The slower pace in which I execute these pieces, mirrors the time
the viewer must take to unravel each piece as they examine it.
The decision to use trees as the backbone images
in this work displays their iconic nature. Trees reach to the
sky and the ground for stability and nourishment. Like my work,
half of them we see clearly and the other half is buried. They
are one of the ultimate symbols of life. In one way I have taken
that life away from them by making them a stark black. In another
way, I have reduced these trees to their basic shapes, enabling
their silhouettes to create patterns themselves. The trees in
this work are from the two places that I am familiar with the
environment, Northern California and the Rochester Area. This
shows my personal interconnectedness with particular trees and
landscapes.
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