Chickens?

Proverbs 31

I'm interested in working visually connecting the idea of the pioneer woman, proverbs 31 and modernity vs pre-industry. Here are scriptures I've rearranged according to the subject and my interpretation as it relates to today's culture: 

Plan, prepare the finest and work eagerly for harder days to come: 

She selects wool and flax

    and works with eager hands. 

21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;

    for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

Cook and prepare food for my family well as well as anyone who works for us:

14 She is like the merchant ships,

    bringing her food from afar. 

she provides food for her family

    and portions for her female servants.

Always be available:

15 She gets up while it is still night;

    and her lamp does not go out at night.

Use my craft to be profitable:

She considers a field and buys it;

    out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sees that her trading is profitable, 

She makes linen garments and sells them,

    and supplies the merchants with sashes.

Be strong and vigorous, without fear:

She sets about her work vigorously;

    her arms are strong for her tasks. 19 In her hand she holds the distaff

    and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

Help others in need who ask:

20 She opens her arms to the poor

    and extends her hands to the needy.

Create home and myself into beautiful sanctuary:

She makes coverings for her bed;

    she is clothed in fine linen and purple. ;

Represent my husband well:

23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,

    where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

Always be prepared and never fear difficulties that may come. My spirits must be always pleasant:

 she can laugh at the days to come.

Exude a strength, respect and speak wisely and thoughtfully:

 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity. She speaks with wisdom,

    and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

Protect against others and not give into sinful desires: 

She watches over the affairs of her household

    and does not eat the bread of idleness

Seek respect and blessing from my family: 28 Her children arise and call her blessed;

    her husband also, and he praises her:

Fall 2014

Color-blind Show: 1 2 3 4

The skin is the one body part that includes so many different aspects.  It's biology is complex. The skin's color is genetic, responds to lifestyle choices, adapts to climate changes and has a dark history of social discrimination.  The color of people is a rainbow of beige.  There isn't a true white or a true black, it involves pink toned beiges, yellow beiges and even grey beiges.

The biology of skin color involves a balance of getting the nutrition it needs.  Anthropologists have found that the area of the most intense UV rays are in northern to central Africa.  They have also discovered that area's climate was previously extremely fertile and allowed shade on natives.  The ancestors of northern and central Africa were in fact "white" or had much lighter beige skin.  As the climate changed, their melanin adapted and genetically transferred to their children in order to serve as a barrier to the intense UV rays.  Although now that we have reached an age of modern traveling means, skin doesn't have a chance to adapt to different climates, therefore darker skin in normal UV ray areas suffer from Vitamin D deficiency and much paler skin suffer from sun overexposure leading to skin cancer and burns.

These few pieces are deconstructions of portraits of various skin tones.  The lack of knowing exactly what the person in each one looks like, what they are wearing and what portions each of their features are allows the viewer to really engage in the color.  To lighten the mood, you'll see a smiley face staring back at you if you look closely in the center.  The color of skin can be uncomfortable depending on what background the viewer comes from.  As the artist, I am not interested in advocating any anti-discriminatory campaigns with these images.  I believe the word racism takes on an element of hate and I think we are beyond that motivation. Although, there are some who still struggle with generalizing a population of people based on what color they are and I hope to enlightened them visually with this collection.  The first one titled 1 2 3 4 is my favorite because you can really see each skin tone in unison.  It reminds me of what a sea would look like if it were made of nothing but people.

smiley face one and two

 

What's more interesting than to be an artist that teaches rather than advocates? I'd like to show you how I got from one to two to three in a way I cannot explain with words, although words aren't void of insight. The poetry of my work is the road I live on with my muse. It takes me to a never ending destination. I'm always exploring and I rarely rest on a solution. None of these pieces are my best or favorite. They are pit stops to a never ending journey of exploration. My mind and intuition about whom I live with continues to a new place with little rest. The things I show give you a one percent look into the unfolding aspect of my sub conscience. 

I chose many layers for intense depth. It enlightens chaos with a surprising formalistic discovery. The colors give meaning to human color, nature's colors and a deeper understanding of the color beige. The largest human body part is put under a microscope and compared to others. Geometric shapes aligned intentionally exude a shapely form. Hidden messages code humor. The title of the show gives a word-play element. The value of skin color brings about some uncomfortable emotions due to the geography we are located. And finally, the use of picking a certain look and expanding on it in front of the viewers eyes makes the artist vulnerable but issues the viewer a back stage pass.

Anthropologist viewpoint on skin: TBD 

Face 2

Face One

Photography Professor

I have had the honor of being accepted as the new photography teacher at Union University!  I will be teaching Photography 1 and 3 this coming fall!  Although Union is a small private school, they are blessed with a 1,000 sq foot photo house that remains separate from other buildings on campus.  I will be teaching the dark room process in Photography 1 and will continue to teach all other classes in the privacy of the photo house.  I plan on continuing to maintain and improve the photo house and I'm excited to develop my own syllabus and program for all Photography majors at Union.  I am delighted and intimated by the opportunity!

Ishihara Plate

Showing: April 12

This April 12th, I'll be showing a collection of images related to research on color blindness.  This will be somewhat of a midterm showing of what I have been working on and researching for this spring semester.  If you are in the Jackson area, I hope you'll find yourself downtown that Saturday to enjoy some company, food, drink and allow me the pleasure to find out what you think about my work thus far.

Pina

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1440266/

My good friend and I are collaborating a show together combining dance, film and photography.  Lines in dance and how it interprets on a print.  The movie "pina" was exactly what I was looking for in my research on choreography that is thought of as an expressive work of art rather than a story accompanied by dance.

Critique Summary: Jan 2014

Show personal narrative
Develop a group showing
Rediscover graphic design
Transfer elements of color, word play, abstraction and materials to continued work
Personal exploration versus just advocating
Prepare to transition back home
Explore ideas of photos and scans of small and microscopic items and combining them into a body of work
Salon style is ok
Tighter presentation
Meaningful concept
Color studies
Nice paper
Many micro photos
James Welling
Wolfgang Tillmans
Whiter background
Paper sources
Triple Gloss spray
Cosmos is good
Catalog artists
Be more intentional
Let the framing relate to the work
Clever, brilliant, thoughtful work
Respect
Be vulnerable
You are a slave to your muse, so take the pressure off

Art Show Dec 2013

At Dwell Media Design's Showroom, Downtown Jackson, TN

Art forum

My new art forum at the dentist

More Microscope photos

Plexi glass and newsprint

Ideas

Newspaper prints with low quality filter. 50x10. Dark paper. Pattern paper transperancy possibly. Tacked or taped on each corner to a really pretty finish of wood or plastic. Landscape of mountains to create irony due to the low quality paper and filter. 

Ant farm on top of large microscopic print. Framed in blonde wood. 

Hanging microscopic prints on fabric stretched in cross stitching round frames. 

Cold Front

Landscape