Artist Statement:

 

My paintings encapsulate several individual memories that feel very present even today. Surreal worlds are constructed from multiple deconstructed memories, which are intertwined when considering themes of religion, the self, the body, and nature. Clear memories from the landscape stand out like artifacts arranged in such a way to add to the surreal environment of the scene. Specific objects and buildings are present, yet they resonate as emotion. They blend in memory and become one lived experience. The individual's mind seeks order and finds connections in the subconscious disarray.

 

I seek to bring a perspective on how a demanding religion affects the surrounding community, culture, and individuals, as seen through Utah's mental health epidemic. Contemporaneous issues in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, such as bishops interviewing minors alone, policies placed on the LGBTQ+ community, religious presence in government, the history and doctrine on racism and polygamy, continue to impact experiences familiar to former and current congregants. These issues in religion significantly impact the individual internally, which is further explored through my perspective by presenting this body of work as visual documentation of my mental health in the church as a believer, in the state of a faith crisis, and eventually as someone who has entirely left.

 

My studio practice utilizes collage and image collecting to establish the piece's content and composition, roughly translated into oil painting. Dark elements are used to indicate the figure's state of mental health within the work. The objects' arrangement functions to explain why the figure is experiencing inner turmoil or why another version of the figure exudes a sense of peace. Many of these events and objects are identifiable within Mormon culture; however, while many viewers may not understand religious symbolism, every element determines the piece's emotion.