STATEMENT
My work explores the sublime nature of decorative imagery and its intersection with religion, relationship and objecthood. Growing up in rural Appalachia and the greater southeast, my childhood was filled with people who indulged their desire to create beauty and escapism through objects and decoration. Using the home as a place of self-expression, and unintended revelation is a constant theme in my practice. Decorative imagery of swans, pink seashells, wax fruit, and handed-down heirlooms hint at the magical and political stories of objects. These images fostered an early interest in the meaning of narrative objects, both historically and commercially. In my work, these influences become installations of imagined places where objects and their environment influence each other in unexpected ways. These still lives create a physical manifestation of the complex sentimental relationship between people, and the objects they love. My favorite scenes to assemble blend fantasy and reality to challenge ideas surrounding material culture and the often-sinister narratives our decorations hold. The stories I assemble are familiar, but devoid of easy conclusions or clear endings.