My work investigates the enigmatic realm of perception, exploring thresholds between mind, body, and hidden forces that shape the perception of reality. Through interwoven forms and vibrant hues I invite the viewer to consider the full spectrum of our connectedness. Each image began with intuitive mark making (impressions made without conscious intention), eventually utilizing perspective, dimension, and volume to reveal new forms that develop over time. This offers me a chance to unearth symbols and motifs once hidden by a blank surface. The process ultimately led to the application of meaning explored in the paragraphs below, brought to fruition through mixed media.

Consciousness is a sensory experience. I take the world in through the five senses—never seeing the very thing that is so culturally and symbolically linked to the mind: my own face. Solely in mirrored surfaces can I perceive myself, and even then, it is a reversed amalgamation of my features. Our faces are only seen in truth by those around us. One can only assume that everyone experiences consciousness this way too. While this seems isolating, love and language allow us to transcend these confines. Almost psychically, language allows us to vibrate the air between us, transferring abstract concepts to one another in the process. Throughout all types of love we entangle emotionally and empathetically across the vastness of space and time. Both open doors to seeing the world as another sees it, a phenomenon we’re all experiencing simultaneously— our experiences etched into our memories, bodies, and history.

Language also shapes the lens through which we view the world. The Sapir-Whorf Theory states that the structure of a language influences the way its speakers conceptualize reality, suggesting it affects our view of color, gender, and even spatial orientation. I believe that this theory extends to our perception of people too— allowing us to flatten or expand the full breadth of a person or group of people’s nature into a projected caricature. The impact language has on us is multifaceted. As psychosomatic beings, the way we speak to others and ourselves affects our thought patterns— in turn possessing the ability to alter our nervous, immune, and cardiovascular systems. Our connection is a hidden fact, underscored by studies showing that the argument styles of couples affects heart health, the heart can be contorted by grief, and loving friendships can lengthen a person’s life while chronic loneliness can shorten it. The internal processes of our bodies reflect our need for community, authenticity, and validation from the people we love.

Though this body of work isn’t a linear projection of the concepts above, it does attempt to be a symbolic and multi-layered reflection of the theories referenced, especially as they relate to my personal experiences of them. Through an exploration of symbols informed by color, line, and shape, I attempt to reveal the internal processes of language and love that are usually hidden from the naked eye.