I struggle with the notion of what a woman is. My work explores what it means to be a woman and the struggle to understand all that entails. I create large intimate paintings from images that women have submitted and from selfies that my daughter has taken. I also create public art installations and video from public engagement projects.
Motherhood opened a world within me that is both painful and empowering. Causing me to reevaluate the roles I have resisted and submitted to, and how I see myself as a woman.
Using my daughters’ selfies, I am able to capture the complexity of the mother/daughter relationship. Experiencing my daughter’s adolescence has awoken memories, causing a deep reflection on how our childhood shapes us as women, and the role vulnerability plays in our development.
Working with images that women have submitted allows me to step back and see a broader view of the female experience. I use social media as a communal aspect of my process that takes me out of the isolation of my studio and expands my understanding of women outside of my own experiences.
“Repurposing Shame” 48 x 36″
“Coming of Age” 36 x 36″
“She Finds Her Way”
“You are turning being a member of our town into an art. I can’t wait to see the progress and participate in BELONGING. This is one of my favorite ways of belonging here!!
“The BELONGING project gives a voice and perspective of the Nisenan Indians, the Native Americans who were here for countless generations before the California gold rush. This project will help raise visibility and awareness of the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe”
“I relate to the wolf because of its strength, speed, and because me and my brothers were raised like a wolf pack in Dogtown”
To spend the last year exploring the theme of Belonging/I AM HERe has affected me deeply in ways I didn’t expect.
” I get goosebumps!! The West of Lincoln Project is truly AWESOME ! I love ALL the stories and people that make Venice so diverse, colorful and rich in spirit. I think this project is helping to heal hearts as well. Much, much love to you!”
