Class of 2020
Artist Statement
I am a multidisciplinary artist using painting, glassblowing, and installation to reveal the relationship between feminine shame and systematic misogyny in Western culture. My paintings show junk drawers, piles of dirty clothes, and other unappealing aspects of domesticity. Along with personal clutter, I incorporate motifs such as rosaries, bibles, and religious paraphernalia. These archetypes draw from my personal history with being aligned to Christian standards for women; a narrative that is shared by many femme-identifying Americans. Repeated imagery augments the idea of habits, addictions, and other recurring behaviors. In addition to realistic painting, I create intricate blown glass, including sex toys and parodies of Venetian glassware. The two disciplines are combined in installations that emulate a domestic environment. Elevating messy living spaces by bringing them into a gallery setting subverts the conviction that women’s place is in the home. By inviting viewers into an environment that calls attention to misogyny in western culture, I neutralize feelings of shame and celebrate rebelling against tradition.
