B.A. of Fine Arts at The University of Kentucky (August 2015- May 2019)

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My undergraduate work was fueled by the disillusionment I gained as an millennial young, American woman. I was fortunate to grow up with a diverse, accepting, and loving family. The first president I experienced was the first black president in a country that is still burdened with the repercussions of slavery and institutional racism (such as redlining). I experienced the legalization of gay marriage. I grew up believing that “love wins” and my home is learning from it’s mistakes. My country is constantly moving forward.

 

In November of 2016, this all changed- Donald Trump became president. Like many others, I felt as if a man who is openly homophobic, racist, and sexist now is what the world will think of when they think of me. I was haunted by words. “Grab her by the pussy,” rang in my ears for months- and still does from time to time. I saw the 'bad guys' win (such as Bret Kavanghan). I heard stories- from my hometown of young Islamic girls who were tormented, told they were terrorists, and had their hijabs ripped from their heads. 

 

As I am heterosexual, caucasian, and raised Catholic, I felt the most personally attacked through the conservative 'war' on women. While all of these social issues haunted me, I felt as if I really only had a voice to speak about the experiences that I went through. This lead me to feel compelled to speak about gender. My work began political. It then moved into a melancholy, yet admirative space. My work was fueled by ideas of third wave feminism and the strong women I have been fortunate enough to know.  

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My practice was about exploring and questioning an identity of girlhood and womanhood. The work was about asking these questions more so than it was about finding the answers. I have found that the best way to explain my work is through a polaroid picture my mother took of me when I was three. In the picture, I am standing on her bed in a diaper, and one of her brightly colored bras. I had stuffed the bra with toilet paper. Why is it that this young child was thinking about growing breasts and making believe that she was wearing a bra?  

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My work was centered around creating images the foster a sense of nostalgia. Through creating a sense of nostalgia, I connected women throughout a 20th and 21st century perspective. While all women share a connection, what it means to be a woman is changing every decade. I created images primary through photography, digital media, and printmaking. I also used sculptural fiber arts as a tool to connect to domesticity. My aesthetic included objects and iconography from previous generations. Specifically, the 1950s, 1960s, and the 1970s. I juxtaposed these with poses, stances, and elements of 21st century editorial photography.