Artist Statement

My work is about communicating difficult, ambiguous feelings, politics, and philosophies by using the medium of Conceptual Photography. It’s about communicating the stuff that keeps me up at night: the looping thoughts about something that I experienced as a kid, or in a dream that I just can’t shake, some spiritual experience that feels impossible to talk about, some big, esoteric idea that I just have to get out, but doing it in a way that is symbolic, nuanced and metaphorical, not obviously autobiographical.  It’s about communicating something I feel is important about the world and want people to think about, feel, to question. My work is about giving presence to the opaque stuff that I can’t just say or describe, and I try my best to do it with humor, wit, and earnestness.  I inject meaning into the seemingly meaningless: the simulated, the infrastructure, the theatrical shell of the world.

I always challenge myself to make photographic art that is as ambitious and fully realized as possible, often failing along the way, but always learning and exploring new paths in Art.

I strongly believe that my Artwork shouldn’t just be wallpaper. It has to have more depth and nuance than mere design. I don’t want my work to be a one liner either, it shouldn’t just be formulaic and easy to understand; that’s what entertainment is for. I’m trying to make photography difficult for myself and my viewers. I’m not doing this to be pretentious or craft some  persona, but to celebrate knowledge, intellectualism, and depth in art, in a way that moves the medium forward without derailing it completely. I appreciate artists that challenge me and I choose to do the same.

I believe that the project determines the style and technical choices based on the specific needs of each series. Sometimes I shoot color, other times black and white. I typically shoot 35 mm or full frame digital, but will use whatever the project calls for. I don’t typically do heavy post-production in photoshop. I create a lot In-Camera and either work with natural or studio lighting. I either travel to the location where I’m going to go on a kind of conceptual scavenger hunt, like at an amusement park or zoo, or I'm going to build a set myself or with collaborators.

My hope is that the viewer will bring their unique experiences to my work and co-create narratives and unveil symbolic meaning by seeing, learning, and imagining. If you end up with more questions than answers, feel something differently, or start thinking about the world in a new way, the work has succeeded.