The important question came up once more: Why do I create? I quickly responded, “Art is Truth.” My drive to create comes from my insatiable curiosity, my quest for knowledge, and my desire to usher in a new era of consciousness or awareness. In Earth’s Voice, I use an interdisciplinary approach/method to investigate novel ideas spanning disciplines that might influence society, especially in relation to the environment and living things. Throughout the process, intuition is the highest guiding force for ideas, concepts, and creation, and there are moments when I have to draw on sources of awareness greater than myself.
Techniques strongly influence how people perceive art. Over the years, some have labeled my work as experimental. My aim is to use numerous materials and methods to get distinct and different results. Despite variations in methods and techniques, the genesis of the unfolding process remains the same, whether the medium is traditional or Al.
In Earth’s Voice, I chose to look at what the Earth is telling us. Is the Earth telling us she is suffering from humans’ misuse of technology and science? Is she asking us to use scientific knowledge to help her heal from the stresses she has endured? During the creation of these works, I realized they are metaphoric—it is not only the earth; it is all life forms, including humans, that are in compromised positions. Each piece brings light to these issues.
Meandering Loss & Hope is a metaphorical piece. Both humans and rivers meander, trying to find placement. Human activities such as redirection, dam construction, agricultural runoff, urban development, and climate change impact rivers. Humans meander due to displacement caused by factors such as war, COVID, economic changes, and homelessness; they find themselves on an aimless path in search of a place to belong.
Other pieces of art, such as The Divide, are metaphorical on multiple levels. The Divide emphasizes the importance of recognizing the challenges faced by society and the environment. Over time, The Divide evolved, and it became clear that several factors were at play that would affect our culture and surroundings. Rapid ice cap melting, intense fires, and volcanic eruptions released large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, while warming ocean waters were causing superstorms. Apart from environmental concerns, there seemed to be equal division in our nation and the globe over social, political, educational, human rights, and economic issues.
Returning to the original question: I create art because, throughout the years, ideas, processes, and technologies change and become something new. It also gives me the opportunity to offer a distinct perspective on things and to discover and feel the rewards of pushing beyond the boundaries. As an artist, I strive hard to keep evolving, changing, and developing a deeper, never-ending critical investigation of dimensional concepts and awareness.
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