Paper Landscapes:

My son is on the autism spectrum. “That’s not normal” or “You should medicate your child,” are some of the all too common, unsolicited comments received by friends and strangers alike. As a mom, I am not apologetic for the differences in my child that make him unique. In fact, my son’s unique abilities have allowed me to question how society creates labels to identify and to categorize humanity as normal or abnormal. Yet all these different labels are what we all have in common and therefore makes us the same—human. This knowledge, that we are all different and unique, drives my artistic endeavors. In my paper landscapes, I utilize ephemeral and modern print brochures, pamphlets, books, and magazines as my base layer. Ripping, tearing, and otherwise repurposing these materials—whose normal purpose was to inform, to education or even entertain—I aim to encourage the question of, “is there a normal?” After adding multiple layers of paper, I sand, peel, and reapply more paper before I paint with watercolor, gouache, and ink. I hope to challenge the concept of traditional watercolor landscape painting while tackling the assumption that “normal” exists.

prev / next

1 2 3

· · ·