Reflection

Upon my arrival back into the states I had a deadline to meet pertaining to an art residency in New York City for the upcoming year that would last 2 months and give a stipend for supplies. I jumped on the opportunity and felt that it would be most appropriate to use the opportunity to create a piece that was the next step from my last project. It is pretty simple in this phase. Not too many details but I figure I have time. I am not the best writer so it took some time to compile something that made some sense. My mother read it and told me, "Oh that sounded great. All the artist bullshit they always use where it doesn't make sense but sounds good." Made me feel much better about the whole thing.

Comment if you wish.

The last few years I’ve been researching and developing work centered around the theme of consumption. I naturally began to create my work with materials that were in need of reuse. I began working with newspaper and researched its physical production, history, and reclamation in the United States. From there I began working on a project called “4500 Fait Ave” It involved the reuse of a mass supply of newsprint found in an abandoned warehouse in Baltimore. In finding this material, I felt it was my responsibility to use it rather than it be thrown away. In doing so, I created relief sculptures and installations that captured characteristics of the abandoned warehouse as well as the community it resided in. The project ended in a much deeper look at my own connection to the history of the space and community as well as learning more about the history of industry throughout the city

Most recently I just returned from a trip abroad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. While I was there I became interested in learning about a country that is known for their concern for our impact on the environment. In being in this other country I soon realized just how much more our culture consumes compared to others, this being in many different forms. With this residency I intend to work on a piece in response to this trip. The piece I am hoping to make would be made with newspaper and steel. My intention in working with these two materials is to ask questions about the materials relationship to one another. Consuming information vs Consuming Product (Both hold value for different reasons. Both have weight in different forms. One holds a lot of material information. The other holds physical weight and can potentially become a material object. Metal an organic material that is broken down to its natural form. Recycled. Reused in its early form. Newspaper is a very fragile material. Soft. Broken down. Reused. The value in the paper is the words. The value in the metal is the material, which is manufactured into product.) In creating this installation I hope to address this issue of consumption and allow others to respond with their own thoughts.