Words from the Artist
I am an interdisciplinary artist who experiments across woodworking, printmaking, textiles and punch needle in order to communicate a message of spreading kindness and respect to one another. Using recurring checkerboard patterns, geometric shapes, and contrasting textures, I take inspiration from Op Art and Ska music. The musical genre of Ska originates from Jamaica’s indigenous people of the 1500s, with the eventual blend of Jazz and Rock music in the 1960s. Spanning that time, musical themes of Ska have stayed consistent: either simple, happy, uplifting melodies, or songs to sing against the oppressors. Music and movement are central to my works, and the genre Ska exemplifies the strength in community that I want to communicate. I am motivated by radical empathy and having an open perspective, and assert that we should all have more respect, kindness, and understanding for one another. We should appreciate how human perspective changes our perceptions. I have found solace in communicating this message through visual art by pushing the question, “how does your perspective change your perspective?”
Mixing different mediums has been cathartic. It unites seemingly disparate items into cohesive pieces. If only humans could admire our differences and work together to achieve beautiful, holistic peace. Punch needling gives me a way to turn a medium that once laid flat on the ground into sculptural pieces hanging from the ceiling, suspended in never ending movement. Textile printed materials have the ability to capture movement, inflicted by the will of outside forces. The sway of a banner in the breeze captures our attention in that swing of the movement, making the message all that more impactful. Studying Intarsia woodworking from 15th century Renaissance architecture, I admire how wood motifs can depict depth in architecture and art. Taking these concepts to such a historical, natural, solid material has me reflect on our environment and the history in which we come from. It also helps appreciate the vast variety of wood species, and how they differ from each other from all over the world.
Patterns provoke different experiences and emotions for a wide array of people. I work with checkerboard patterns as it is a great way to simulate movement and perspective. This pattern is also one of the first ways you learn how to draw perspective. Now I look back to that pattern to question how we look at our own and each others’ perspectives. I look at checkerboard patterns and feel the bass line of Ska music and feel the undulating movement of the dance floor. This pattern also is held dear to the Ska community as it signifies standing united, especially in times of increased racial segregation. If only we could look at the differences of the pattern of the human race, and appreciate the similarities that unite us together. We are one with the pattern of the world, the breeze of harmony in which we listen, and lives filled with different experiences in which we share. We should move those eyes toward appreciation, respect, and understanding especially as we see each other go through such trying times. Through the power of pattern and movement, we stand united and need to appreciate the power of each other’s perspectives.
