I’m fascinated with society’s simultaneous obsession and disdain for consumer culture, how the accumulation of goods is a sign of status among the elite and the absence of it for those at the bottom of the hierarchy. This work highlights my childhood spent in poverty as represented by the bright and bold colors that can be found in beauty products, candy, toys and stores, scenes that are inherently beautiful and yet cheap and outdated. These paintings offer a glimpse into an empty calorie version of success that is looked down upon because of its accessibility.
Utilizing a still life format allows me to incorporate many different items and themes into a composition while rejecting the narrative that still life work is purely academic and non-conceptual. My paintings invite the viewer to consider the elements of color and light both individually and as part of a compositional whole. My intent is to encourage a recalibration of our understanding of value so that worth can be stripped of its association with cost.
This series is inspired primarily by my personal experiences growing up as a child in the late 90s and early 2000s; the bold colors signify my emotional response to scenes that beg to be consumed, to be seen and heard. My life has been filled with a strong combination of uncertainty and hope, two conflicting sensations that my art attempts to address.
