Mile 80/100
My brother runs 100 mile races. These physical challenges make him feel like his own Greek hero, but at 20 hours in, often the only thing to keep him going is our dad. He has Shakespeare memorized, and recites this monologue from Henry VIII when my brother needs that extra push. I wanted to commend both of them for their work out on these races by combining the speech with a photolithograph of my brother’s feet after the race, which are peeling and bloodied.
Photolithograph on kitakata, 8x12”
Monoprint Self Portraits
These self-portraits utilize color and layers of ink to communicate how I think I am perceived by others. I used soft layers of pink to shape my more feminine features, working in much thicker and opaque layers of blue for my more masculine ones. The far left is the original print, whereas the far right was created on the backing sheet, only catching the wettest and darkest inks that bled through the first. The center was made from the ghosts of each layer, only picking up the remains of the first two. In these layers, I see the features of the lighter prints to be the ones people would remember, the more notable things about me.
Monoprint on Thai Kozo, 6x8”
He’s Peeking
I’ve always held the moon in high regards and dreamt of it hiding a mysterious secret. A frog, however, is whimsical and fun, and the idea that one lives in the moon made me smile. I brought these two together in a playful illustration I drew on a litho stone.
Lithograph on western paper, 7x7”
The Hanged Man
Inspired by the tarot card, this piece represents its meanings in regards to gender and identity. Facing upright, it represents change, suspension, and letting go. Reversed, it deals with an inability to change, stalling, and missed opportunities. I wanted to bring an element of forced vulnerability and shame by having the subject be nude and covering themselves, eluding to the desire to avoid the confrontations of the card’s reading would entail. Having to look inward and ask why we find ourselves struggling to change or evolve is uncomfortable, particularly when it concerns our identities and understanding of ourselves.
Linocut on western paper, 10x7”
What’s on the Inside
I’ve aways found nostalgia items from the 80’s and 90’s to be captivating, as they were just before my childhood. Furbies in particular are an icon of those decades that amuse me for their uncanny faux consciousness. Out of curiosity, I bought an old Furby and took it apart to learn how it worked. Seeing the difference between the skeleton and the fuzzy exterior was shocking, and I wanted to capture the dichotomy in a two plate etching.
Etching on western paper, 6x6'“