Lens-based Artist
Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio
513.846.1524
Lens-Based Art
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This work deals with the documentation of having a child. It is a collage of over 300 black and white photographs of soiled diapers. Each sample is labeled with a sample number ranging from 1- 1,200 and measures at a five inch square. The scale of the diapers is life-sized, but due to the cropping and lack of color the diapers don’t exactly read as dirty diapers until further examination. The overall tone of the photographs is muddy, but the clarity and composition of the images, for me, creates a sense of beauty and connection.
While changing each of my son’s diapers, I am examining the excrement to try to better understand his health based on the color, texture and frequency of it. This is the only sure way for my son to communicate with me and help me understand what he needs nutritionally. To me, it’s a beautiful thing and something I am constantly doing. I tend to reject routine and will do everything in my power to avoid getting into repetitive situations, but through this documentation process, I have been able to better appreciate the daily tasks. This piece has become a therapeutic way for me to express the overwhelming routine I am dealing with as a new mother. Every composition is unique and perfect in my eyes. The textures and depth created in these photographs abstracts the subject which allows me to focus more on the relationship between my son and I as well as the perfect, beautiful little boy he is.
Diaper Sample #36 (2014)
Diaper Sample #30 (2014)
Diaper Sample #47 (2014)
Diaper Sample #50 (2014)
This body of work consists of many of the spaces and places I have gone to feed my son or use a breast pump in an attempt to prevent over-exposure to the general public. These photographs are void of the human figure to further alienate the spaces and events that have occurred. My hope is to show a presence without the physical existence. I want my photographs to create an awkward sensation and maybe even a bit of curiosity for what happens in these spaces with the objects included in the compositions.
21C (2014)
Shower Room at Art Academy of Cincinnati (2014)
King's Island Break (2014)
West Lafayette, Indiana Church Parking Lot (2014)
Mother and Child (2014)
Sweet Suction (2014)
Confrontation (2014)
That Is MY Seat! (2013)
I created this image to reflect a memory of when I was young. I recreated the memory of me sitting in the car in the middle seat, getting my seat buckle fastened. I remember my sister getting into the car and pulling my hair as hard as she could to get me to move while yelling, “This is MY seat!” I was probably nine-years-old and when I was given the prompt of “ugly feelings” for my photography class, this is one of the first things that came to my mind. The recreated photograph is 15 inches tall by 21 inches long as an ink jet print on matte paper, printed in color. There are two little girls sitting in a large van screaming at each other while the older of the two girls is pulling the younger girl’s hair. All the other seats in the van are empty which begs the question “why are they fighting over a seat when there are thirteen other empty seats to choose from?”
I chose to photograph these younger girls because they were around the age I remember this experience occurring and I wanted to keep the childish attitude in the piece. Because of this piece, I realized I was avoiding myself in my work for some reason. This mentality was challenged after I was married and conceived a child. Suddenly, everything was changing. My body was changing, my mindset was changing, my values were changing, and my relationships were changing. I decided to begin documenting these changes through my photography and began taking self-portraits again in early 2014.
Where Am I in All This? (2014)
I created this compilation of images of my protruding, pregnant belly and used pregnancy tests to document my experience being pregnant. The final image is a photo collage with semi-transparent layers of digital photographs printed at 18 inches wide by 15 inches high. It consists of a frontal image of a female midsection, layered under two side views of the same midsection facing toward each other. Images of used pregnancy tests with the positive results showing are layered on top in three columns covering the entire image in grid form. There is also a headshot that has been included with a very low opacity. The headshot is most likely the last thing seen, if it is seen at all. The photograph is in color and consists of a very fleshy palette. There are lots of shades of pink, tan, and white, which I believe gives the image a very warm and inviting tone.
When approaching this piece, the first image that stands out for me is the two bellies. Upon taking a closer look, I then notice the pregnancy tests and after taking a step back, I see the traces of my profile. This is exactly how I felt my peers viewed me while I was pregnant. They first saw my belly and asked about the pregnancy. They would stare at my stomach and talk to it instead of talking to my face and asking about me or how I was doing. It also really changed how I saw myself. For many people that I interacted with during my pregnancy, they never got to a point where they looked me in the eyes while they talked to me. I wanted to show those frustrations in this photograph.
