My practice is a satirical merging of fact, fiction, history, and pop culture. Individual, small-scale sculptural pieces have recently expanded into immersive, room-sized, walk-in dioramas.
A combination of both fine art and craft materials and techniques, the highly narrative, elaborate installations begin with tiny textile figures. The small-scale figures (10” to 20” in height) are created using labor-intensive hand and machine sewing. Detailed, miniature accessories (clothing, furniture, newspapers, guns, etc.) are obsessively crafted and sprinkled throughout the work as clues to a complex and layered story. Mixed media environments play with the concept of “real” v. “fake” and feature both authentic materials (i.e. leather, wood) alongside artificial materials that masquerade as genuine (i.e. vinyl, printed paper).
The results are exquisite and uncanny miniature worlds where characters mirror and critique social and political issues.
The various tableaux within the pieces offer sly commentary on contemporary culture and human behavior. The intimate 1:4 to 1:8 human scale coaxes viewers in for a closer look where unsettling narratives lurk under a veneer of dark humor and whimsy.
Works on paper often take the form of mixed media sketches that serve as behind-the-scenes glimpses into the pre-construction planning of sculptural works. Combining images and text with a keen attention to detail, the sketches are exquisite stand-alone works in their own right.