Artist Statement
My artwork is mainly focused on the female form. Women have persevered through many battles to gain freedom and equality. In American society women are granted almost all the advantages of men, but with this new found equality we struggle with our relationship to our femininity.
I am searching for the distinction between the fetishizing of a female nude, and asserting femininity that is beyond arousal. Women’s bodies have been the focus of many historical works, but it was not until relatively recently that female artists were able to find their own voice. I strive to create an image that is both empowering and slightly vulnerable - that makes the viewer a bit uncomfortable, but inspires thought.
Through nude self-portraiture, I hope to reject the standard art historical image of a passive woman. The female form can be both powerful and feminine. In self-portraiture, a strange paradox exists between the artist and the viewer. The artist's intentions are not always understood, and viewers bring their personal experiences to the interpretation of an image. It is this tension that creates beauty and intrigue in artworks. The artist releases control as the work is displayed and viewers can come to feel connected to an image.
In a new body of work, I am further exploring the vulnerability of the human body through the connection to the decay and growth of elements in nature. I am looking forward to utilizing my time in residency at the Vermont Studio Center in the summer of 2011 to further explore this new theme.