My current body of work is informed by Ecofeminist philosophy, which links the commodification of the natural world with historical subjection of women and vulnerable people. Specifically, this work focuses on establishing equity between the body and the earth, and identifying everyday practices that work against it. I am interested in the physical and intellectual separation of the body from its native environment that might result from our reliance on unsustainable resources, ubiquity of synthetic materials, and consumption of digital imagery. Viewing ourselves as independent from other living organisms is necessary to continue practices that serve human life at the expense of the environment. In this work I layer synthetic materials and digital imagery with abstract bodily forms and organic elements to create a relative space, free from hierarchical context. In this space, relationships between the body, its environment, and the impact of daily practices are revealed for new consideration.
The formal components of my work include various representations of nature and the body, which range from realistic to highly-simplified icons. I start by layering patterns made of sewn or digitally printed fabric. Minimally processed organic elements, such as dried flowers and raw wool, are crossed with industrial materials, such as epoxy resin and polymer fabric, and applied to the surface. Abstract figurative shapes derived from life drawings break up patterns and establish the dominant composition of each piece. The resulting works are medium-scale paintings dense with patterns in bright, natural imagery, sinuous figurative forms, and contrasting tactile surface applications.
The continuation of unsustainable practices depends on an overall acceptance of the Earth as a resource to be used, instead of an ecosystem of which humans are one part. By comparing the body, organic elements, synthetic materials, and digital imagery outside of their original context, I ask how conceptions of ourselves in relation to the natural world might affect the future wellbeing of both.