March 31-April 3
Unclean
2020
Digital Photograph, 13"x19"
Washing Away
2020
Scrap Soap, Purified Water, Found Metal Bucket, Quilted Tablecloth, 16"x16"x8"
Artist Statement
In this earthly life, with its blood, sweat, and toil, most find little comfort. Their hope is in the next life, with its promise of heavenly mansions nestled among lush pastures along streets paved with gold. They long for a future homestead where there will be no sorrow, pain, hunger, or burdens. My current project, When Pigs Fly, examines the realities, inequalities, and long-term effects of living near, or below, the U.S. Federal Poverty Guidelines. An existence where families—including my own—long for a better future.
In my quest for a “better life,” my mind has been conditioned to accept—without question—what I am “awarded” here on earth and remain eager to leave this world to claim my heavenly reward. My work questions these belief systems, while bringing an awareness to the social structures and systemic ills that oppress the poor. The aspirational myth of the quintessential “American Dream” physically and mentally oppresses the poverty-stricken. I contend that it is, in fact, only a “dream” sustaining a state of hopelessness and acceptance.