Artist’s Statement

Ever since studying astronomy in college, I have been thinking about the awe of being small in the vast universe. I worked at a large telescope giving tours of the night sky. Zooming out to the scale of nebulae and galaxies helped me realize that my problems usually aren’t so big. It helped me remember the things that I think are actually important: our planet, our loved ones, each other.

One set of questions that help guide my practice has to do with materiality. Do materials impart an inherent value on an artwork? Who decides what is kitsch and what is fine art? Who gets to enjoy either genre? I use recycled and recyclable materials from velvet to glass in the exploration of these questions. 

The other set of questions that most interest me is: What does it mean for all of us to be on this small planet together in the vastness of space? What do we choose to do with that circumstance? My work is a prompt to recall the awe of looking up at mountains or stars, aware that life is rare and fleeting.