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Statement:

Through the process of creating this body of work, I have reflected on how my childhood has affected my adult self and my current identity. As a young child, I accepted my family’s unhealthy dynamic because it was what I experienced every day and it was normal to me. However, I now know that these experiences were actually harmful to me and my relationships.

An important part of understanding my childhood has been decoding the spiritual language used in my childhood home and culture. Religion was a large part of my family’s identity and values, and it interwove spirituality into our unhealthy dynamic. God the Father was just as involved in my family as my earthly father, and so I have dedicated space to consider this influence on my adult self.
The process of recreating memories as artworks allows me to understand them more clearly. For each memory, I identify collections of objects and materials that represent a particular place or pattern of behavior and then build upon them as a physical representation of an intangible memory or story.

Clothing and textiles are reoccurring materials within my work. My background in the fashion industry contributes to the way I see garments and textiles as references to the body as well as representations of individuals and relationships. Garments are important in these introspective works as references to the body as a vessel for emotions and memories.

I often deconstruct garments, and other materials in order to deconstruct the nostalgia that I might associate with the past and to affect these objects in ways that mirror how the past has affected my emotional self. Taking these “normal” materials and distorting them represents the effects of my childhood environment, but also my changed perspective on the past.

Witness, Revival, Testimony was installed at the Tipton Gallery in Johnson City, Tennessee from March 2, 2023 through March 31, 2023, with a public reception held on March 24, 2023.

Works in this Exhibition:

“The Old House”, 2023, repurposed textiles, plastic pipe.

Gardeners, 2023, repurposed textiles over steel mesh and dress forms.

The Comfy Chair, 2023, chair and repurposed textiles.

Family Tree, 2023, repurposed textiles, yarn, metal.

Self Care (Ritual), 2022, yarn, repurposed textiles, hair care supplies.

Disciples, 2023, repurposed textiles, metal.

Dad’s Home for Dinner, 2022, table and six chairs, repurposed textiles, hanging light fixture.

Spiritual Transformation, 2022, repurposed textiles, yarn, monk’s cloth, wire mesh, sequins, glass beads, buttons, wood table.

The written thesis accompanying this exhibition, and of the same title, is available for download from the digital commons at East Tennessee State University.