Verticalities Artist Statement
Verticalities is essentially about exploring ideas within a construct be it social or philosophical. Each work is made up of small individual panels that make up a larger whole. I like to think of them as movie stills shot from different vantage points. Although some of them are cropped you still grasp the narrative. The rectilinear shape represents the construct being explored. It represents a stereotype, an argument, idea, truth, or myopic tendency. The rectilinear presentation in itself is so traditional and stable. It is that stability that I chose to exploit. The rectangle represents our myopic tendencies. The parts within the rectangle represents an answer to our misconceptions another viewpoint, the debunking of myths.
This body of work seeks to convey that your truth is not my truth and mine is not yours or anyone else’s. There are several levels of existences. Not only are there shades of gray but also there are shades of red, blue and silver. There are so many that we do not see because we get in our own way. That is just one aspect of the work.
Verticalities also explores personal and group identity, the identity of relationships between individuals and the social, cultural and spiritual contexts that influence them. The work focuses on sets of beliefs, patterns of behavior, expectations, cultural practices, social practices and spiritual values that have an effect on identity. It is about unity within individuality. It is about exploring dichotomous thinking. Verticalities is for everyone who lives with dualities and ambivalences. It is about the merging of ideas and concepts that traditionally exist in isolation--good and bad; right and wrong; male and female; love and hate. Enjoy!!
