Location: United States
There are many ways to articulate pattern, and my interest in them stems from the innate humane need to find them in almost everything that we look at. When we look at pictures of Mars or the Moon many times we will see there a face, as if to identify something familiar in the strange and unfamiliar. I like to use this natural need when creating my work, to do this I often take subjects or landscapes and turn them into surreal images, this gives the viewer a chance to make there own personal interpretation.
My work is an exploration of textures and pattern where I concentrate on organic shape and color, and typically create both abstracted atmospheric pieces as well as figurative pieces. When creating abstract work, I look to the environment for inspiration and to textiles for composition. I’m American with Iraqi Jewish heritage, therefore drawn to aspects of Middle Eastern design, particularly the Persian rugs that I grew up with, and the creative ways they utilize organic shapes. When creating figurative work my pieces reflect my experience as a woman and how the female body is idealized, particularly the standards that apply to women in our creation stories, since this affects the language we use to talk about them in the modern world. My figures are often absorbed to become part of the pattern, yet sometimes she is left with little context and the viewer is compelled to fill in the blanks with the norms that they understand or with their own experiences.
The process for creating my work involves several steps. The first and perhaps most time consuming part is taking the source pictures on location. In these original photographs, texture, light and color feature most prominently. I also work with models, either on a solid white background that can be edited out, or on location, depending on the effect I am trying to achieve. Once I have all the source material for a series, which can take several weeks or months, I begin to put them all together using digital collage techniques that focus on the natural colors and patterns that appear in the original photographs, as well as the way these features blend together in the layering process. I then take the most interesting or dynamic fragments, often moving these sections from Photoshop to Illustrator, in order to play with the orientation and repetition until I reach the final image.
I have degrees in Exhibition Design and Studio Art from the Fashion Institute of Technology and Hunter College respectively. Professionally, I have worked as a designer at the New York Historical Society on the exhibitions “Lincoln in New York,” “Beer Here” and “Stories in Sterling,” in the United Nation’s galleries and tour route, and as a visual installer for Henri Bendel, Bloomingdale’s and Diesel.
I’m a member of the Con Artist Collective in New York. I’ve participated in several shows and collaborative projects including; Photography Takes Over at Upstream Gallery ?in Hastings-on-Hudson, Snap to Grid? at the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, the Greenpoint Gallery Salon Show in Brooklyn, the Small Works Exhibit?at Limner Gallery in Hudson, the Autumnal Show at the Soho Arthouse in New York, Protea Gallery in San Diego, and with the Processional Arts? community workshops in both New York and Queans. I’ve show my work international at the artist residency "III Milenio Residencia Internacional Mirador del Jucar" held in the Instituto Rural del Arte, in Alcala del Jucar, Spain, culminating in the final show “Babel” at ?the Castillo del Alcala del Jucar, and recently I got the opportunity to show my work at World Art Dubai were I was awarded a mention in the publication “The Best of 2016 International Emerging Artist Award”
As with much of my work the female subject is connected to ideas of womanhood, particularly the idea of Eve, as Eve continues to influence the modern western woman. Each image in this body of work focuses of the voluptuous quality of nature and the idea that a woman is connected to the earth. Although the use of patterns and repetition continue to be a dominant part of this work, I wanted the female subjects of these pieces to be the focuses, versus much of my other work were the subject becomes lost in her surroundings.
In the production of these images, many aspects of the floral designs were part of the original photographs, framing the face; so that when texture was added in later it would give the image a layered quality without obscuring the figure.
In the production of these images, many aspects of the floral designs were part of the original photographs, framing the face; so that when texture was added in later it would give the image a layered quality without obscuring the figure.
In the production of these images, many aspects of the floral designs were part of the original photographs, framing the face; so that when texture was added in later it would give the image a layered quality without obscuring the figure.
In the production of these images, many aspects of the floral designs were part of the original photographs, framing the face; so that when texture was added in later it would give the image a layered quality without obscuring the figure.
In the production of these images, many aspects of the floral designs were part of the original photographs, framing the face; so that when texture was added in later it would give the image a layered quality without obscuring the figure.
In the production of these images, many aspects of the floral designs were part of the original photographs, framing the face; so that when texture was added in later it would give the image a layered quality without obscuring the figure.
In the production of these images, many aspects of the floral designs were part of the original photographs, framing the face; so that when texture was added in later it would give the image a layered quality without obscuring the figure.
The concept behind Water Skin and Air stems from several past series that feature a female figure lost in her surroundings. However, here she is striped even further back to become a geometric part of an almost monochrome environment. The composition is driven by shape; and as such, the figure removed from any other context becomes part of those shapes. Even so, the viewer often subscribes to her narrative in order to make sense of the surreal image.
The reference to “Skin” in the series title is loosely based on the Selkie, an Irish mythical creature who must find her skin in order to return to her original form. In this way the series ties back to past work that reflects on female origin stories, and how those concepts shape our thinking about woman today.
The reference to “Skin” in the series title is loosely based on the Selkie, an Irish mythical creature who must find her skin in order to return to her original form. In this way the series ties back to past work that reflects on female origin stories, and how those concepts shape our thinking about woman today.
The reference to “Skin” in the series title is loosely based on the Selkie, an Irish mythical creature who must find her skin in order to return to her original form. In this way the series ties back to past work that reflects on female origin stories, and how those concepts shape our thinking about woman today.
The reference to “Skin” in the series title is loosely based on the Selkie, an Irish mythical creature who must find her skin in order to return to her original form. In this way the series ties back to past work that reflects on female origin stories, and how those concepts shape our thinking about woman today.
The reference to “Skin” in the series title is loosely based on the Selkie, an Irish mythical creature who must find her skin in order to return to her original form. In this way the series ties back to past work that reflects on female origin stories, and how those concepts shape our thinking about woman today.
The reference to “Skin” in the series title is loosely based on the Selkie, an Irish mythical creature who must find her skin in order to return to her original form. In this way the series ties back to past work that reflects on female origin stories, and how those concepts shape our thinking about woman today.
The reference to “Skin” in the series title is loosely based on the Selkie, an Irish mythical creature who must find her skin in order to return to her original form. In this way the series ties back to past work that reflects on female origin stories, and how those concepts shape our thinking about woman today.
The reference to “Skin” in the series title is loosely based on the Selkie, an Irish mythical creature who must find her skin in order to return to her original form. In this way the series ties back to past work that reflects on female origin stories, and how those concepts shape our thinking about woman today.
“Portrait Series #3 ”
“Portrait Series #2”
“Portrait Series #4”
“Portrait Series #5”
“Portrait Series #6”
“Portrait Series #7”
“Portrait Series #8”
“Water Skin and Air #1”
“Water Skin and Air #2”
“Water Skin and Air #3”
“Water Skin and Air #4”
“Water Skin and Air #5”
“Water Skin and Air #6”
“Water Skin and Air #7”
“Water Skin and Air #9”
