statement

I am interested in the symbols that encapsulate a society.  When we consider the great civilizations of the past we consistently gravitate to their architecture as an immediate representation of their achievements.  In these drawings I try to explore two key questions.  First, how will our architecture and infrastructure compare with similar elements in other societies?  Will our freeway interchanges, steel and concrete buildings, convention centers, and airports hold their own against the roads, forums, and amphitheaters of a society like Rome, for example?  Second, and perhaps more disturbing, will we leave any similar legacy at all?  Our propensity to frequently demolish and rebuild, and to make use of cheaper construction materials and processes, makes the seriousness of this question apparent in everyday life.

I try to structure my drawing process to accommodate my interests in architecture and archaeology, frequently doing "field work" - exploring, sketching, and photographing out of the way industrial ruins.  When I actually sit down to draw I rarely work from one sketch or photograph, but rather "construct" a final architectural drawing using mechanical perspective.

bio

born:1983, Manistee, Michigan

education:

Kendall College or Art and Design, MFA, Drawing, 2008
Kendall College of Art and Design, BFA, Illustration, 2006

selected awards/honors

selected publications

New American Paintings; Open Studios Press, August/September 2008.
Rockman, Deborah.  Drawing Essentials: A Guide to Drawing from Observation.  Oxford University Press, 2008.  (Includes reproductions of work)
Society of Illustrators Annual Student Exhibiton Catalog.  Society of Illustrators, 2006.

selected solo or two-person exhibits

106 Gallery Solo Exhibition.  Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI, 2008.

selected group shows

Remnants Group Show.  The Victoria College, Victoria, TX, 2009.
Summer Group Show.  Packer Schopf Gallery, Chicago, IL, 2009.
81st Regional Juried Art Competition, Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon, MI, 2009.
80th Regional Juried Art Competition, Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon, MI, 2008.