Artist Statement
We spend our whole lives surrounding ourselves with things that reflect our tastes, habits, and how we spend our time. They decorate our lives, creating the settings for our memories. These loved objects become so intertwined with the owner that they become extensions of the self. But, when the owner is gone the loved object loses that attachment. These items no longer have any practical use beyond waiting for someone else to love them. Sentimentality is often presented negatively, especially with the popularity of minimalist living. But, I find that holding onto items that purely facilitate a healthy yearning for our pasts is something to be encouraged.
We are all collectors of something. It is an integral stage in childhood development. Collecting can reflect as a habit, ritual, compulsion, attachment, and obsession. Coming from a large family of collectors I have gotten to know the individuals behind their collections, but I can rarely fully understand their choice of collectibles. The objects that they dedicate their lives to and their system of organization can provide insight into the collector.
My work is a showcase of different collections such as a collection of hair, contact lenses, stamps, and my grandfather’s stories. I spend an excessive amount of time with these collections to pay homage to the time it took to accumulate them. I connect myself to the collector to then help translate that connection to the viewer by presenting them in the gallery space. These collections also act as portraits as they reflect their sources and preserve moments in time. I strive to inspire my audience to start noticing their own loved objects and the stories they tell.
Generational Memories (2021) Paper and Ink 56”x 36”
Passive Accumulation (2020) hair and contact lenses 11”x 14”
Amateur Philately (2021) Stamps and linen 18”x 36’
