Statement

Any time two people are in a space together, power differentials manifest. It’s an artifact of proximity.

One will be bigger, or stronger, or louder, or richer, or better educated. Or perhaps healthier. Their features and skin colors will differ. There will be differences in the way society sees and values each of them and in the way they see themselves through various cultural lenses.

There are other more subtle power differences too. One might be more patient than another. More persistent. More determined. Sometimes these traits are virtues. But not always.

What’s my responsibility as an artist in the face of these differentials?

I’ve come around to understanding that each of these moments of proximity, where difference is thrown into relief, is an opportunity to promote equity. To nurture it like a living thing.

There are ways of signaling and acknowledging safety, value, self-worth. There are ways of observing, listening, shifting focus, shifting what’s at the center.

I am thinking about how to lift up this work, and how it relates to the human-nature connection I am always exploring in my practice.

Perhaps I can start by saying: Any time two beings are in a space together, power differentials manifest. It’s an artifact of proximity.

In 2022-2023 I am approaching these questions with indoor installation. This is a divergence from my previous large, outdoor 3D work, as I now have the constraint of a moderate heart condition caused by covid in March 2020. Doing alright now, though. Not the same as I was before, but I’m one of the lucky ones. Alive, and very functional.