ARTIST STATEMENT:

I recognize the inevitability of environmental and physical changes in species and the spaces they inhabit. The observations, progressions, and possibilities of such change are captivating to me. I hope to create figments that speak to the changes that I am observing in a way that is both apparent and metaphorical.

The expansion of urban and sub-urban areas, and their effect on the landscape, animal, and plant life, is something that I am currently exploring. The new animals I create are my response to the replacement of formerly native species by strays and abandoned animals, as well as the adaptability of many species to prevalent forces and changes in their environment. These new kinds of wildlife are extremely adaptive, and take advantage of the urban landscape and by-products of human life. The taxidermy models used in this work represent species that previously resided in areas where cities have sprung up. The furniture is a by-product of human life, used and thrown away. By covering these forms with upholstery I am creating a new, hybrid species that reclaims a transformed territory.