ARTIST STATEMENT
My practice deals with themes of transcendence. Navigating between the limits of the material universe and the infinite freedom of the spiritual, my work is situated in a paradox where creation and destruction are simultaneous. Seeking the moment of crisis in order to transcend it, I channel forces in tension: vulnerability and courage, futility and possibility, limitation and freedom. Confronting limits that are emotional, physical and social, I hone in on the nuances between obstacles imposed by the universe and the ones we build for ourselves.
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NEW WORK- TOGETHER BUT SEPARATE
Last winter I set-off impulsively on a cross-country road trip with my lover, Alex Pergament. We left in a cloud of excitement, seeking an opportunity to explore the depths of our new love through our mutual practice of photography. Over the course of the trip, our lenses revealed deep fissures beneath the surface. The powerful creative force driving the rapid rise of our love gave way to a destructive downturn of equal intensity, resulting in an ugly and bitter parting. Together But Separate records the disillusionment of our idealistic and naïve image of love-- one that has succumbed to the harsh paradox of the human psyche that keeps desire and fulfillment at odds with one another.
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RECENT PROJECTS
In Homeland, I drove 15,000 miles across the U.S. taking Wet-Plate Collodion portraits of people living off-the-grid. I photographed where people were re-visioning society in the midst of large scale deterioration: in blighted cities like New Orleans and Detroit, in squatted desert communities, on boats moored in industrial canals. This project focuses on the growing social movement of DIY-ers, punks, squatters, and activists who have rejected the luxurious monotony of mainstream society to achieve the independence of self-sustainability.
With The Miss Rockaway Armada, I floated down 1000 miles of the Mississippi river on a raft built from detritus scrapped from NYC and powered with modified diesel car engines. The collective stopped in towns along the way to engage with locals through workshops and performances. Following on the tails of American legends like Huck Finn, the MRA confronted entrenched norms about culture and life by creating an improbable universe of whimsy and spectacle.
“Suitcase” is a confession, a revelation, a letting go. It is a project that brings old wounds into the air in order to let them heal. With a startling forthrightness and honesty, I work through the vulnerability of my body in relation to an abusive father.
“New Orleans” is known for its spectacle, revelry and lightness of spirit, and also for its natural disasters, violence and tragedy. Costume is embraced widely, not just during Mardi-Gras, but for small occasions all year. I began to see the readiness of the city to wear masks and make light amidst a harsh and difficult environment as a transcendental practice. People's ability to momentarily relinquish hold of their lives to create a world of joyful, fantastical play is not pure flight of fancy, but deeply rooted in the physical present, at a point of great intensity where the unrestrained joy of the flesh and acknowledgement of death collide.
