Abstractions 2010-14
Figurative work set among fluid, bright abstractions.
Oil, acrylic, graphite, and ink on canvas. Gouache and watercolor on paper.
Queer identities have varying aesthetics which metamorphose based on age, race, geography etc. The bodies of LGBTQ-identified and queer-supportive women in my paintings are evolving with their social environment. I explore the fluidity and complexity of gender and sexuality through layered abstractions.
In the nineties, shows such as “All But the Obvious” and “Gender, Fucked” re-discovered gender and negotiated its borders. Donna Evans presented ‘sexual deviants’ in such a way that popular culture viewed them as unfeminine, aggressive, and unattractive as a result of their body hair, age, muscles etc. Unlike Evans, I depict a more sumptuous side of that world in which women modify their bodies, take on various permutations of androgyny, and are celebrated for it.
The most recent work has evolved and become more intertwined with my personal life. Many of the portraits feature my partner, dearest friends, and myself...focusing on those who have impacted my life in some way.