ChaosSwelling, is a large installation consisting of 567, 8 in. x 1 in. glass tiles arranged upon a set of 11, 4 ft. x 8 in. x 4 ft. black steel structures, all of which have varied heights from 48 in. – 60 in. The glass tiles are placed on top of the steel structures to replicate the surface of a wave. The notion of the wave is continued in the arrangement of the steel structure’s heights, 48 in. to 60 in. to 48 in. All glass tiles range from clear to different variations of blue, representing the visible light spectrum seen when looking at the ocean.

I see waves as individuals, living their lives independently, yet together, causing unique disturbances and oscillations as they travel. I use water waves as a metaphor in my work because waves and our human experience mirror one another through systems, such as weather patterns and social patterns; both rely upon an order that’s unpredictable, either coexisting with individuals and or not interacting until they meet.
The symbolism of wave systems within my work can be defined by surface waves, wind waves and swells. Surface waves occur on the free surface of water. This wave relates to our immediate consciousness of present. The information that we know to be truth is from our immediate experience of the present, providing us with an awareness of ourselves. Wind wave systems are directly generated by local winds and carry with them their own rhythms and variables, interacting by moving past, across and over one another. This wave reflects our experience within the present moment affected by our knowledge and experiences. Similar to the way our knowledge and experiences of the past affect our reality, water swells create their own unique disturbance from waves that have been generated elsewhere or some time ago.
The dichotomy of chaos and order creates a synergy examined in mathematics, meteorology, and philosophy. Without order we cannot define chaos. Chaos is approximately predictable, based on systems of order. One example is the way Meteorologists are able to approximately predict the weather through examining patterns in time and temperature. We attempt to control chaos using numerical systems, probability and history as ways to recognize patterns and likely outcomes. In the piece ChaosSwelling, I interpret chaos as the present determining the future, while at the same time, acknowledging that the approximate present does not approximately determine the future.

The concept for Self-portrait is derived from the effects electromagnetic radiation commonly known as light have on my reading experiences. I wanted to create a piece that gave my viewers insight into the way I perceive light and written words. Therefore, it is important that I combine light and perception to alter the viewer’s sense of space. Resembling white notebook paper, I closely arranged 20 florescent white T-12 lights on a white, 4 ft. x 4 ft., wall mounted box. Each light is sandblasted with the repeating words “white light white snow white pages”. The repetition of the words play on themselves creating a poetic display as they cycle through the 20 lights, beginning and ending at times with the words “snowwhite, ageswhite, nowwhite” etc. The intensity of the light is aggressive, affecting the space and viewer’s eyes in the same way as a snowstorm might. Confronted with brightness, the viewer begins to see the letters that form a message within the lights. As viewers try to focus and read the message, their eyes struggle to adjust to the light’s brightness. The brightness of this piece temporarily affects the viewer’s perception of space and sight until their eyes adapt and adjust back to normal.

I feel that questions create uncertainty, which warrant anxiety and my need to define, leading myself in attempts towards measurable understandings. Therefore, I develop formulas to explain, measure and quantify my world and to whom I am. My formulas take shape through theories, rules, forms, tests and methods, all that appear as well through academia, mathematics, religion and science. Tests, rules, theories forms, and methods provide a way to measure information right or wrong, allowing one to generate answers.

 

MMPI-2:PastPresentFuture, depicts a literal representation of the MMPI-2 personality test sheet. Aluminum mounts hold 6 clear, glass panels 2 inches from the wall. The glass panels are closely assembled, 1 inch apart, using two rows of three. Each glass panel measures 36 in. x 24 in., laser printed with the MMPI-2 scantron test document of 1-567 questions and dusted in graphite to create a visible contrast against the white wall. While all panels have been printed as MMPI-2 scantron documents, the top two left panels have slight differences and are filled in with answers. The top left panel represents the past answers I gave from the first time I took the test while living in Florida, in 2012. The top middle panel represents the present answers I gave from the second time I took the MMPI-2 while living in New York, in 2014. The four remaining panels represent the future and are empty documents. Continuing my work by taking the MMPI-2, creating a visual comparison that provides an interpretation of gradual changes in my personality over time.