Fine Art: Limina

I am an artist who engages with the paradox between the micro and the macro, the physical and the ephemeral. My current series, entitled Limina, takes up the challenge of representing the visually unrenderable: gas, light and the movement of celestial bodies so vast that they appear formless. I ask, is it possible to make a portrait of space itself? With brushstroke on wood or stitch in fabric I use the tiniest marks to create the metavisual. My paintings challenge the scientific authority of the popular Hubble Space Telescope images, which claim to provide accurate views of galaxies but in their structure actually recapitulate cultural representations of a longing for the divine familiar since the Renaissance. I shift these romantic depictions of scale and light to suggest that what we see is always already mediated through layers of subjectivity.

I intend the paintings to be viewed in a low-lit room both up close and at a distance. The window or frame in each piece signals a portal between the defined world of the viewer and the expanse of universe beyond. In marking the liminal space between the viewer and the vision I draw attention to the materiality of painting itself and to the self-reflexive nature of any attempt to capture the infinite.

Limina is a formal as well as conceptual exploration. I use archival materials, protractor and compass to carefully recreate the abstract geometric patterns employed by Islamic astronomers to map the infinite. Each piece goes through multiple iterations of hand-drawn and digital sketches. Though I take full advantage of Photoshop in preparation for a piece, I feel an urgency to master the immediate language of painting in the context of a cybernated world. Thus the series is also a serious study in the Old Master use of glazes, brushstroke and composition.

Physicality is essential to my art-making. With over fifteen years' experience onstage as a dancer I am interested in the inherent performativity of arduous object-oriented art processes. In my textile painting An Inside View, for example, I constructed the central galaxy figure from over 15,000 French knots, taking more than 300 hours to complete.
 

Illustration

I am a freelance illustrator based in Berkeley, California, specializing in intelligent and compelling works that demonstrate sustainable living and a just, engaged community. I draw by hand in pen and ink and then work with color digitally. Images have the power to communicate ideas in a personal way: my goal is to provide your nonprofit or small business with a distinctive look that clearly expresses your mission and makes your unique services accessible to your target audience. As a leader in the sustainability movement, you understand the importance of both complex systems and specificity. I can help further the objectives of your organization by creating illustrations that combine my multi-dimensional "big picture" thinking with an acute attention to fine detail.

My illustration is informed by my broad array of interests and areas of expertise, which includes ten years of work on (and in) the ground of the sustainable agriculture movement. Inherent to my vision of a sustainable future is the strength of local communities, in which spiritual exploration, critical thinking, and a playful sense of humor are essential.

I look forward to collaborating on your next project.