April 24 - June 12, 2024Crutchfield Gallery
Sum of All Parts is a series of mixed-media drawings that take selective vignettes of animal forms in varying states of deterioration and suspends them in liminal repose. This series is a continued response to my prior research in using animals, space, and technical rendering to evoke a quieting reflection of impermanence, much like that of the historical practice of memento mori. While my previous series of work required the use of immersive, large-scale drawings, I wanted to explore the opposite end of the size spectrum to continue investigating this theme. Through my investigation, I found myself being transported into the same meditative and contemplative flow state when working on these more intimately-scaled drawings. Each drawing consists of paper mounted on wooden panels, none of which are subjected to the limiting dimensions of glass and frame. The exposed mixed-media presents itself with the same fragility of the subject matter it describes. Graphite serves as the ideal vehicle with which to perform the methodical, intricate rendering of texture and form while gentle washes of watercolor add another layer of atmospheric ambiguity. The drawings are not clear in their description of how, where, and why these creatures came to be in this state as I did not wish to convey overt allegories of death or decay. Rather, I chose these small moments, movements, and suggestions to imply the solemn, temporal quietude found when small pieces can coalesce into an implied whole.
A descendant of a long line of blue-collar mountain folk, I never imagined a higher education in the fine arts was possible for myself despite developing an unyielding love for drawing at an early age. After several years of dead-end job hopping post high school, it wasn’t until an informal Autism and ADHD diagnosis gave me the much-needed insight on how to proceed towards a future in the arts. At the age of twenty-five, I embarked on my journey through higher education, graduating from Greenville Technical College with my AA in 2021 and transferring to Clemson University to finish my BFA in 2023. When I’m not prying a slipper out of my dog's mouth, I’m cultivating my studio practice in my hometown of Greenville, South Carolina.
