My work addresses technology's influence on society in two primary ways. I first consider the fusion of the organic and inorganic through the concept of cyborgs. Cyborgs are a hybrid of machine and organism created to enhance nature. Evidence of these sci-fi inventions exists in robotics, prosthetics, DNA testing, cloning, etc. Secondly, I choose to paint the subjects, rather than digitally render them to display distrust in our culture's deification of technology.
I use insects as subject matter in my creations for a number of reasons. Their body structure shows rotational symmetry which allows the viewer to compare and contrast halves and quadrants. Also, slight in scale, insects are more often recognized by the general shapes of their bodies, rather than the details of their forms. Lastly, insect specimens are often displayed in natural history museums the same way art is displayed in galleries.
My choice of objects to morph into insect bodies is based on the object's similarity in shape to the insect's shape. I search for easily recognizable inorganic forms that reflect technological advancements. I enjoy the humor in recontextualizing common objects by putting them into bug shapes.
The targets and patterns in Hybrids series A, B, and C provide viewers with a guide that allows them to mark one side while viewing another. The overlaid targets and patterns are employed for their rotational symmetry. This forces the viewer to either assume both halves are the same or realize there are differences between each half to compare and contrast.
It is important that the paintings are rendered in a detailed, almost photographic manner so that the depicted objects are easily recognizable. Currently, the computer is the most precise tool we have. I decided to rival the computer by choosing one of the oldest painting mediums, egg-tempera. This is a medium that demands computer-like precision from the artist because it does not permit revision. Also, painting in a traditional manner allows for precise manipulations and alterations of which current graphic software is incapable. Altering an image to "fool the eye," as I do, involves issues of representation that photography simply cannot address, even with imaging software and advanced dark room techniques.