Artist Statement

This is the artist statement we had to write for senior seminar and I figured since I have a blog I might as well post it right!? Well let me know what you think and if it makes sense! I realize it needs some work and will probably be ever changing....cause I have trouble making up my mind on these things... but its a pretty good representation on how I feel... I think.... feedback is appreciated!


In my work I aim to both expose and criticizes culture. I am inspired by the opportunity I have had to not only live in multiple different cultures but also to see the world and experience other ways of life. This has led me to believe that the key to understanding those who live around us is to examine the culture from which they came. Since very few cultures have escaped the effects of globalization each individual culture tends to have an effect on others. We live in a global world but we have an ignorance of other cultures that causes contemporary problems. Therefore my images intend to show and teach about other ways of life.

I create two separate types of images. One kind is the traditional photograph that is a presentation of other cultures. My other images show an interplay between multiple photographs, or photographs and text. The text I use enforces the viewer to receive a clear understanding of my message. The phrases I use are rarely ambiguous. I chose photography because I use it as a form of documentation. But documentation is not my art, rather the photograph combined with the concept is my art.

The process in which I create such images includes a range of different techniques. It usually begins with the photographing of landscapes, monuments, and the people of a culture in their natural environments. My photographic process could best be described as guerilla art. I use this form because the camera changes the way I am viewed, when the people I photograph see the camera they associate me with the ignorant tourist when rather I am trying to authentically present their way of life. I proceed with the documenting my experience in text and converse with people about their particular lifestyle as much as possible. This gives me the ability to learn as much as possible about a culture and helps me build an understanding of its reasoning. Because I can use this secretive form of guerilla photography and have the opportunity to see so many different cultures my images can introduce new ideas and concepts to people who would not have the chance to see them. I believe that if you have the ability to know something and do not want to know, that is ignorance. Some people justify their ignorance with the excuse of not having the ability or opportunity to see and experience something. My goal is to minimize that inability and to show my personal experience in hope that it sparks people’s interest in other cultures of this world as well as understanding the hypocrisies of their own world.