God did not put a possum on this earth that he did not make a persimmon to fits it mouth. Quotes like this one from an agrarian culture dictated my great grandmother's life as in some ways it dictates mine today. It is the belief systems and structures of my rural heritage that have powerfully shaped my identity. My recent work is based on understanding these systems and structures derived from natural phenomena and my own sub-cultural norms. Once I comprehend a specific cultural configuration, I produce a work around a new system of my construction.

This interest in structure and systems is a result of the rich fodder my rural upbringing possesses. Much of my life was determined by changing seasons and the demands of growing our own food. We did not have the luxury of modern science or elaborate machines. Natural phenomena were used to predict the weather, to aid us in our growing of crops, and to determine interpersonal and social behavior.

My work reflects these interests. I compose work around systems that have been ingrained in me from this upbringing as well as a new understanding of these beliefs. Through self-imposed structures I build new works and belief systems that expand my understanding of the natural world and my heritage. Building these structures aids in the process of contemplation and reflection. By creating these systems the ability to impede loss of knowledge and cultural narratives is obtained. The intense focus is a way to occupy my mind a common need that my Grandmother and I share. Natural and cultural structures are my primary interest. They put me in touch with my past. These works are helping me understand the value and meaning of my heritage so I can pass it on to my children. This is a history that is rich, mystical, and curious.

 

born: 1977, Franklinton, Louisiana

education

University of Arizona, MFA, 2006
Northwestern State University, BFA eqivalent, 2000

selected awards/honors

2005 Medici Scholarship, University of Arizona
2004 Medici Scholarship, University of Arizona

selected publications

Works + Conversations, No. 10, p. 47, 2005

selected solo or two-person exhibits

This Hidden Truth & Process, Tyler Hall Satellite Gallery, Radford, VA 2005
I Can Draw, Senior Exhibition, Orville Hanchey Gallery, Natchitoches, LA 2000

selected group shows

Landscape in the Postmodern, Biennial Juried Exhibit, Brad Cooper Gallery, Tampa, FL 2006
Paper in Particular, 27th Annual National Juried Exhibition, Columbia, MO 2006
Open National Exhibition, Juried Exhibition, Long Beach Arts, Long Beach, CA 2006
MFA Thesis Exhibition, Curated Exhibit, U of A Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ 2006