Race Work
My current work explores the themes of white privilege, interracial relationships, social inequality, and identity politics. It is a search for answers, but the search is never ending.
I reflect on my personal experience with race and attempt to answer the question of how race has affected my life. I began my exploration by painting on my studio wall a central circle representing me. I added numerous other circles documenting various significant relationships and experiences. I then photographed these wall paintings and stitched them together in Photoshop to create a type of family tree that records these important events in my life.
In attempting to answer this question, new topics began to arise and interesting shapes started to form. The ideas from the original bubble chart evolved into less personal, more universal concepts. I started focusing on the formal quirky shapes of the bubbles, creating 3-dimensional sculptures that extend out from the wall. These ideas and sculptures move my work from being solely about my life and lead the viewer to explore the underlying themes through his or her own personal experiences.
Ultimately, the work is an attempt to understand not only how race impacts my life, but also how it impacts our larger society. As I continue to explore this topic, I hope those who view my work will reflect on what their bubbles may be regarding race.
