Artist Statement
To say something is tacky is to make a statement about your own superior taste. Whether it be leopard print jumpsuit, a carton of boxed wine, or a pink plastic Christmas tree, tacky things are frivolous and easily acquired. They are brighter, louder, raunchier, and more feminine than most people are comfortable with. Tacky is in the eye of the beholder, and it’s always about someone else.
My current body of work is a nostalgia-driven investigation and celebration of tackiness through the ages. Look! React! Feel! is a series of two-layer linocuts, each featuring a piece of tacky pop-culture paired with its own palette of rich textures and vibrant colors. In tenderly carving, printing, framing, and hanging these pieces in a gallery setting, I aim to elevate these objects that are typically considered to be low brow.
Look! React! Feel! challenges the notion that tackiness is something to be avoided, rather than something joyful, comforting, and inherently valuable.
