Abrasions
Abrasions (detail II)
Abrasions (detail III)
Abrasions (full display)
Jaded
Jaded (detail)
Saturn
Abrasions
Acrylic and plaster gauze on masonite
6 panels, each 14 x 14 x 1 cm.
Total display size approx. 60 x 90 cm.
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In a world of suffering, why do we feel the need to conceal our wounds from others? Why might we hesitate to reveal the pain that we hide? Perhaps we have a problem with vulnerability. We live in a culture where imperfections are frowned upon and social media profiles refrain from sharing anything but the best of our lives. The problem with filtering ourselves this way is that we tend to ignore or even numb our painful experiences. I believe we should confront those experiences head on by being vulnerable with one another.
My work seeks to expose our internal and highly personal wounds, which we tend to hide like intimate body parts. I paint close-up distortions of human flesh in vibrant red hues and grotesque textures. In "Abrasions," I first wrapped masonite panels in plaster gauze, a material often used to make casts for mending broken limbs. I then “wounded” the surface of each panel through cuts with the palette knife, scraffito, hot glue overlay, and pumice paste. These techniques embody the physicality of wounded skin, fragile yet rough. By stripping the body of identifiable features, I invite the viewer to psychologically enter the work and consider hidden sensations of pain.
The rawness of my work confronts the wounds of our human bodies. By recognizing that we all suffer and share some fear of vulnerability, we might question our choice to either conceal or reveal pain. Do we have the courage to be vulnerable with one another?
6 panels, each 14 x 14 x 1 cm.
Total display size approx. 60 x 90 cm.
__
In a world of suffering, why do we feel the need to conceal our wounds from others? Why might we hesitate to reveal the pain that we hide? Perhaps we have a problem with vulnerability. We live in a culture where imperfections are frowned upon and social media profiles refrain from sharing anything but the best of our lives. The problem with filtering ourselves this way is that we tend to ignore or even numb our painful experiences. I believe we should confront those experiences head on by being vulnerable with one another.
My work seeks to expose our internal and highly personal wounds, which we tend to hide like intimate body parts. I paint close-up distortions of human flesh in vibrant red hues and grotesque textures. In "Abrasions," I first wrapped masonite panels in plaster gauze, a material often used to make casts for mending broken limbs. I then “wounded” the surface of each panel through cuts with the palette knife, scraffito, hot glue overlay, and pumice paste. These techniques embody the physicality of wounded skin, fragile yet rough. By stripping the body of identifiable features, I invite the viewer to psychologically enter the work and consider hidden sensations of pain.
The rawness of my work confronts the wounds of our human bodies. By recognizing that we all suffer and share some fear of vulnerability, we might question our choice to either conceal or reveal pain. Do we have the courage to be vulnerable with one another?
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