Most of my work is driven by one question: How do we become who we are? There are no absolutes in this world, no given purpose, and yet we all end up somewhere as someone. Through photography, then, I create narratives that explore the seeds of this journey: identity, self-image, memories, dreams, expectation, and the cultural mythos.
Often my images start with specific memories of domestic scenes and suburban life— my own everyday moments. But from there they remove the context and add elements that contradict the original narrative. Sometimes these elements are pieces from dreams, sometimes they are other memories, sometimes they are overlaid imagery.
With the context of the original scene removed and the narrative distorted, the viewer is then asked to provide his or her own context to find meaning in what is presented. Ultimately, then, the pieces act as a conversation, a give and a take, to create new narratives and explore new realities.
Select Exhibitions and Publications
- 2004 – Pursuits, Explorations, Paths: Developing Photographic Vision, The Box Factory for the Arts, St. Joseph, MI
- 2005 – All That Is Solo Exhibition, DeeLite Grill, Grand Haven, MI
- 2005 – Fishladder published Life from the Preservations Series
- 2006 – Through Silence Broken, Performing Arts Center Gallery, Grand Valley, MI
- 2006 – 78th Regional Exhibition, Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon, MI – Juror’s Choice Award
- 2006 – China Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China
- 2007 – Venice International Photography Exhibition, Venice, Italy – Gold Medal