| Description |
My research and artworks utilize traditional hand done and modern digital printmaking techniques. Some processes inherently convey a sense of being handmade, such as wood cut relief printing and intaglio printing; these techniques rely strongly on the hand of the artist, directly transferring handmade marks to the matrix, and then to the print. Other processes, like screen printing, are further removed from the hand of the artist, where I have employed the machine; a computer, a laser cutter, or a Xerox copier. I have created within these works a juxtaposition of charming and personable marks, with more detached, indifferent digital marks. The reconciliation of the dichotomy between man and machine, and between traditional and revolutionary processes is thus encapsulated in the work. This inclusivity of diverse media within my printmaking practice challenges the viewer to wonder how the work was created. A sense of the unknown is ever-present. In a direct parallel to the choice of medium, the conceptual framework of the work likewise seeks a reconciliation of sorts, between the personal and the anonymous. The inspiration for this body of work was extracted out of a single name: Ruth Drescher, my newly discovered maternal grandmother. My mother was adopted at birth and recently stumbled upon a relationship with her birth mom's family. The subject matter for the prints was gathered from freshly uncovered genealogical histories; old polaroid photographs, birth certificates, immigration papers, hand written letters, and newly forged familial relationships. In addition to these personal artifacts, I have scoured the internet, the library, and census data to gain a better understanding of the visual culture of my ancestors. By pulling inspiration from family photos of people I never knew, my work forces a unification of the past and the present. It will dive into ancestral and historical roots, exploring motifs, patterns and symbolism from Ruth Drescher's heritage to influence a body of work which is a stream-of-consciousness digestion of this life-altering information, and the research which ties it all together. I decided to visualize and make art about this experience because art is my way of digesting concepts and facts about the world around me. By delving deep into my family's history, I have connected on a deeper level with my ancestors, and have become more comfortable in my own skin. I hope that by viewing this work, others will be inspired to strengthen their family bonds, and help them feel more connected in an increasingly impersonal world. |
