Senior Thesis for the Studio Art program at Wesleyan University.
All works are oil on canvas, 64" x 36", 2012 - 2013.
My oil paintings focus on silence, the passage of time, and the preservation of history. By presenting empty historical spaces as they exist today, I invite viewers to contemplate not only the actual history of the locations presented, but also our relationship to history. My paintings question what gets preserved, who is remembered, and what will stand long after we are gone. The format of my paintings is the same ratio as a film still. By composing the spaces cinematically, I invite the viewer to become the protagonist. This gives the works a sense of mystery and narrative tension. I am interested in our desire to idealize the past, and by making meticulously detailed paintings, I highlight not only the craft and workmanship of the architectural spaces I paint, but also the time needed to create these labor-intensive works.