"Mother and Child" (Collaborative Portrait of Erica Merchant) Photograph - Limited Edition of 1

The creative process is never a straight line. As each piece progresses, I continuously challenge and reinterpret what it will provide to viewers as an aesthetic experience. The materials I use are physical manifestations of the ideas explored- acting as conduits between concept and tangible reality. Glass, wood, paper, sand, and rope combine with ink pigments and photographic emulsions to blur the line between object and illusionistic representation. The finished form that results is an embodiment of concept, rather than a simple reflection of it. My recent creative work is the direct result of moving to the UAE, focusing very intently on the examination of identity and location through the individuals and objects I have found in my new surroundings. The found objects I collect act as physical records of a location’s memory- unique artifacts that carry embedded remnants of the time and place they are discovered. My portrait work has evolved into more collaborative ventures with my subjects, directly engaging them through interviews and feedback asking for meaningful insights influencing the outcome of the piece. As these two bodies of work have begun to merge, I find myself constantly surprised at the unexpected results of this exploration. Currently, I have begun taking my newest body of works out of the gallery space and into public environments through site-specific solar lightbox installations. During the day, an image is presented to viewers, installed in an area with high pedestrian activity. When the sun goes down, the work lights up to reveal additional information that recontextualizes the original imagery. These “binary message” works have led me to begin studying time-lapse videography as a way to document the changing nature of the artworks and show how they evolve through the course of a day and night in these public environments. All of my work is an exploration of the many ways we can perceive and interact with the people and environs of the world around us. Just as light going through a prism becomes an entire spectrum, the ideas, contexts, and motivations embedded within our daily lives are always more than what they appear on the surface. I hope to continue my creative growth by finding new and exciting ways to articulate ideas to the viewing public. This persistent search for improved expression will continue to drive my creative exploration and I look forward to the discoveries awaiting me at each new step.