Perception

An ongoing series of works reflecting social behaviors, personal observations, and social commentary.

I rip wallpaper to tell stories, juxtaposing and assembling the small paper fragments to form a greater whole. Often the mosaic-like artworks depict larger than life human heads, hands, and figures. At once beautiful and thoughtful, the images are also stark. Using wallpaper imagery as a metaphor for domesticity and as reminders of a past life, I transform the fragments into anatomical and anthropological figures, which creates an uneasiness. There is a contradictory aspect to the artworks: the appeal of the designs and colors within the wallpapers contrasted with the message within a piece. The collages alter the idealized and pastoral scenes contained within the wallpaper’s imagery and transforms them into a universal common denominator: our innate physiology and shared humanity.

My ongoing body of work, the Perception series, continues the exploration of these universal themes, with some pieces referring to Baltimore, Maryland. Although referencing the city of Baltimore, the messages in these pieces reflect our society as a whole.

The Conversation

The Conversation, 2021, shows two heads facing each other. The black man on the right faces a white man on the left. In the background a small footbridge spans the open space between them—a tenuous and hopeful point of connection. Each head is made with the same black and cream floral wallpaper; both exist within the same time and space. It is unclear whether a conversation has begun or is about to commence. On equal footing, we hope and expect it to be a constructive exchange and a possible blueprint for a brighter future.

Bmore

Bmore, 2021, is a finger gun made with a rich red, blue, and grey floral wallpaper. Bmore illustrates the dualistic nature of the city containing both violence and beauty. The title Bmore, the red background, and the finger gun all reference the violence in the city. Yet, Baltimore could “be more.” The fact the “gun” is not an actual weapon but indeed a human hand, emphasizes that the person shooting is just that, a person.

Henrietta

Henrietta, 2022, also follows a scientific anatomical illustration. Specifically, a vintage medical illustration of a female torso, where the torso is shown dissected and splayed for use in the study of cervical cancer. Henrietta Lacks was a black Baltimore resident in 1951 whose cervical cancer cells were taken without permission from doctors at Johns Hopkins and these cells, called HeLa, were cultured, sold, and used around the globe to help researchers in cancer studies. Her family only as of late is getting recognition and acknowledgement that Henrietta was a person and never compensated for her unwitting contribution to cancer research. This piece highlights the icon that Henrietta has now become; an icon of our past and current foundations that we cannot seemingly escape yet. The story of Henrietta reflects parts of all the stories told in the other pieces. She is the ultimate icon and roadmap of where we come from and the question of where we can go.

Everyman

Everyman, 2021, is just that, every man. We see a view beneath the skin, from the chest up through the neck and including the head. Under the surface, everyone's the same, whether one is black, white, yellow, or brown, etc. we are all equal and made from the same parts. Looking closer within the body small narratives of a life lived are played out in images from toile wallpaper pieced together.