All That Matters Solo show at Markel Fine Arts, 179 10th Ave., NY NY February 20 - March 29, 2025 Reception: Feb. 27, 6-8
In my two- and three-dimensional paintings I explore light and shadow as a metaphor for the human condition, with its many complexities and contradictions. I am interested in the inner transfiguration that takes place apart from theological dogma, leading to higher states of consciousness. Taking my inspiration from religious iconography, I use inverse perspective and conflicting light sources to redirect attention from pictorial space back to the viewer. These subtle shifts in perspective turn the focus inward, where one encounters authenticity and self-realization in their myriad forms. The boxes and geometric shapes cast irreconcilable shadows, creating tension that is harmonized within the overall composition. I often include text cut from sacred books and classic literature, citing passages that speak to both our divine and human natures. While the content is rooted in my former affiliation with organized religion, the work is intentionally ambiguous and open to interpretation. My hope is that we look beyond the contradictory viewpoints to see the humanity that is our common heritage, because in the end, that is all that matters.
Recognitions and Icons
My work explores the shadows of religion, not to condemn but to bring light and compassion to the darker aspects of devotion. My paintings and wall sculptures are intended to draw the viewer into an internal state that transcends the need for salvation. Inspired by Byzantine icons, I use reverse perspective to create subtle shifts in perception, where the viewer becomes the vanishing point, self-contained and slightly removed. This shift in perspective suggests an alternative to the Judeo-Christian paradigm, in which one’s attention is directed toward a deity located just beyond her reach. The viewer is instead located front and center in the transitional space, where she is both the subject of the painting and the object of devotion.
Text Drawings and Illuminated Manuscripts
I began working with sacred texts in 2007, cutting letters from one text to form the writings of another. This “cross-pollination” of holy books has a larger purpose, suggesting that all sacred writings point toward the same source, eliminating the need for exclusivity or intervention. The process of deconstructing sacred texts expresses a broad interpretation of scripture that is inclusive of all faiths. In the Illuminated Manuscripts series, I combine sacred texts with painting, sewing, and burning, rendering a contemporary interpretation of an ancient tradition. But instead of illuminating a long-established, patriarchal religion, I illuminate the state of awareness, the origin and destination of all religions.