Last month, I was approached by a colleague who asked if I would be interested in presenting my artwork to some people I work with. I immediately affirmed “Yes—I would!” without considering what I would actually be presenting about. It suddenly dawned on me following my enthusiasm of a new project, that I never once thought about how to talk about my work. I spent the next few days thinking about the art I made over the last few years to draw together some kind of connection. For instance: what are the themes I constantly revisit time and time again? I decided to organize my concepts in a timeline, which I then presented to my coworkers March 17th.

2018

The main focus of work I made this year was expanding my understanding of lithography. In 2018, I began carving out a space for lithography, spending time travelling between home, my job in the Flatiron district and the lithography studio at the Art Students League. The prints I made there became the basis of a show that carried over into 2019. What I enjoyed the most about this time was experimenting with different methods, and learning from experienced lithographers who watched me like a hawk, ensuring no designs were lost to an unlevel stone or insufficient etch.

2019

In 2019, I moved to a new neighborhood. And during that time, I became emboldened to begin exploring drawings inspired by some of my favorite periods of art history: the Vienna Succession Movement and Surrealism. I remember taking time off in the summer specifically to work on copies of the Paul Delvaux painting, “Les Mains” (1941). Not to mention, I created one of my favorite drawings, inspired by a short story I read by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “Winter Dreams.” So much of this time represented for me a new beginning, and I was forming a relationship with my work that was new and exciting.

2020

2020 began as a strong year, creatively. I made modifications to my studio space to accommodate the scope of some very interesting projects I was working on. One of my favorites from this time were preliminary sketches I made for a show at Carnegie Hall. While the show itself never panned at, working on these sketches were exciting because I was envisioning an idea with a theatrical scope. In March, along with likely every person in the world, I found major aspects of my life take on a seismic shift. Adjusting to the transition, I took a brief foray into introspective photography methods and writing before finally returning to art. And when I returned, I found myself painting.

For the first time since perhaps my undergraduate days, painting became my primary focus. Separated from others, I became subsumed in making watercolors with multiple washes. I took to using digital mediums (like procreate) to plan out my pieces. One of the favorite pieces I made during this time was a quick walnut ink study I made, inspired by the film Metropolis, which I affectionally titled “Odessa.” However, much more of my work focused on creating watercolors in full color.

Present

In the beginning of this year, I began working in oil. The work I am currently making in oil, much like my experimental photographs, are still conceptually unfinished. However, it signifies an expanding outward, that will increasingly make itself known in the later future. I don’t know what this coming year will bring in terms of new artistic production, but I am excited to be continuing to make work within it.

To view my complete presentation, click here