Artist Statement 2024

I am once again a newcomer to the city. One who is both fascinated and fearful of New York. In my paintings, I gravitate toward nocturnal urban landscapes that are often distorted by rain, reflections, and stark colored lights. Often overwhelmed by the energetic and hectic surroundings I find, I use the rain pieces to hide and uncover color, forms, light, and darkness simultaneously. I take inspiration from cinema, specifically scenes of suspense often shot in alleyways and curbside puddles from a voyeuristic viewpoint. Like a director editing the establishing shot, I choose each composition that places the viewer in a position of vulnerability; one that I often feel myself while I walk the streets at night, both nervous and excited at what I may find. I use photography and film to influence how I can turn shots I often stumble upon spontaneously into distorted scenes of reality, leaving someone to ask, how did I get here and what is next?