Artist Statement
My work explores traditional American western iconography through a modern lens alongside fashion and pop art. Using vibrant colors such as hot pink, I introduce reoccurring characters and motifs such as smoking cowboys, eggs, UFOs, and dreamy desert landscapes. My work plays with nostalgia and reinvention, drawing inspiration from past American painters such as Frederic Remington and Georgia O’Keeffe, in addition to old frontier photographs. By exaggerating the drama and aesthetics of the West; neon skies, unconventional situations such as cowboys delivering baguettes, and a diverse array of cowboys and cowgirls- I both celebrate and challenge the mythology surrounding it. Whether it is a handful of French fries or a playful homage to thrifted fashion, the juxtaposition surrounding my scenes causes viewers to rethink stereotypes surrounding the American Southwest.
When creating my artwork, I choose to use a combination of acrylic paint and oil paint to bring my artwork to life. The color palette of my work lends itself to extreme colors such as neon pinks and deep blues. The style of each of these paintings feels almost cartoonish- like a dream or a memory where the brain fills in the gaps or exaggerates characteristics and saturates color. The paintings I create are overflowing with magnified bits and pieces of information that I have gathered throughout my life and then pieced together in my artwork- giving it a sense of familiarity.
My western scenes invite viewers to rethink expectation society has when discussing western art. With my work, I highlight the marginalized communities that are often overlooked. In my Smoking Cowboys/Cowgirls series for example, I reflect the diversity of the ranching scene by representing Women, African Americans, Native Americans, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and more through portraiture. By reimagining the cowboy narrative, I challenge the traditional perspective of western art and recognize the diverse voices that have shaped Cowboy culture.