Artist Statement The focus of my work often involves manipulation of everyday, realistic landscapes and their transformation into parallel environments. Once transformed, these pieces become timeless monuments, losing any historical reference they might have had previously. They are non-linear snapshots of reality, only concerned with the moment at hand. The works are strongly influenced by the ideas of alternative historians and researchers of the occult. The exposé of things hidden in plain sight as portrayed through symbolic use of grids, planetary formations, orbs and organic shadows that disturb the environments we usually take for granted. Personal interest in alternative histories lies in the theories that challenges the perception of reality and encourages the continual research and questioning of certain truths that have been presented before us. I am also interested in how natural landscapes (such as forests, mountains, deserts, etc.) and industrial (or otherworldly) landscapes coexist. The compound effect they have is illustrated via a transition, referencing the result of a manipulated planet, where the otherworldly created by technology has seemingly become part of ones daily existence. I often modify the proportions of symmetrical and asymmetrical details in order to mix conceptual ugliness into perceptual beauty. Ultimately it is this mix that illustrates the complexity of our relationships with these landscapes. This is the core element of what I am portraying — the perception of good and bad and all its shortcomings. Through this imagery my objective is to further consider the interconnections between nature and the built environments — nature as something that is forged by our living planet, and the built environments as manufactured by humans and technology. |