Animal Series Statement

Animal Series Statement

This body of work was inspired by the belief that an artist’s power lies in their ability to make others see. It is this ability to reveal, both the good and the bad, that gives art the power to influence society. But I believe that if art is to have a positive influence on society it can not merely reflect the problems, it must offer solutions as well.

In my animal series I am offering an antidote for the angst, stress and lack of satisfaction that seems to plague our society. As children we were encouraged and expected to view the world with whimsy, imagination and joy. However “growing up” seems to mean pushing whimsy and imagination to the background and only viewing it through a cluttered veil of stresses dubbed “reality.”

I reverse this relationship in my animal series. I put whimsy in front of the school papers, tangible remnants of the growing up process, so it can be viewed unobstructed. Allowing the chance to stand once again in childhood and look into a world where imagination and whimsy obscure the angst. Where we can let go and once again feel the joy that comes from a sense of satisfaction in life.