Artist Statement

The urban space is full of contradictions. It can be noisy, smelly, overly busy and tiresome, but it can also be hypnotic and mesmerizing. The sprawl and speed of the streets create a fractured sense of space and time, and a lost sense of self.  It’s easy to feel the crush of humanity in a sea of people, but it’s also possible to feel completely isolated and alienated while surrounded by so many separate lives and experiences. These moments of isolation can easily become hypnotic in front of a backdrop of steady sounds, flashing lights, and constant movement. Urban structures become physical manifestations of emotional states, and space becomes fractured, broken and confusing as people collide and interact.


The modern urban space is the perfect example of how we've become so alienated from each other, and so intoned with technology. Flashing signs, brilliant advertisements, and shouting sales pitches compete for our attention. We become so enraptured by the screens, the lights, the sounds, that we forget the people next to us, and don't realize that the real stories and wonders are the human beings we're shuffling right alongside.


These paintings started fresh off a trip to New York City, and down the East Coast. It was possibly the first time I had been forced to navigate a city by myself, and also observe and take it in.  I felt like I had walked into a completely different world, where I could be completely alone while surrounded by thousands of people.  I spent 2 nights at Time Square by myself, observing and drawing. I was completely surrounded by people, yet I had never felt more isolated in my life. I started using those sketches, feelings, and observations as a springboard to approach the more complex, fractured, and confusing spaces in my drawings. 




Enjoy