Artist Statement
I make art as an exploratory tool to discover new ideas and travel new thought paths. I try experimenting with what could be considered "less traditional" engraving and when I found I had a great interest in the post-apocalyptic/doomsday/survivalist cultural phenomenon, I decided to try incorporating that into my artwork. Being heavily influenced by video games such as Fallout, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, Metro 2033, and various others, I was drawn to the thought of the grotesque spawned from the apocalypse. Other pop culture including various comics and movies such as Mad Max, The Postman, Waterworld, and The Book of Eli influenced my exploration into the cultural side. This journey has taken me from basic questions about cultures to various religious interpretations of the apocalypse to adapting my own ideas to a post-apocalyptic belief system. I create work through mixed media by scavenging and combining found objects. I will engrave words, symbols, or characters on objects to either signify important aspects or simply draw a focal point. These engravings are one of the most permanent marks that can be made and can last a very long time. In addition, the materials chosen may have a nostalgic connection to the present world or what once was as a form of lamentation. Symbolism plays a large role in my work, most specifically trinities or symbols with an aesthetic basedaround having three portions.