In this body of work, I draw on the hardened register of military cadence songs and overlay it with imagery derived from training films and field manuals. The tension arises when the language of instruction—designed to unify, to direct, to solidify a communal mind—shifts into its double-meaning: commands meant for the rank-and-file become echoes in public space, loose slogans, cultural memos. The image of training becomes the metaphor of culture. And in the overlap of language and image lies the uneasy possibility: that by marching in step we may gain belonging — yet by doing so, we might also trade away the very independence that defines us.

The Banded series came about from contemplating the dynamics of protection and control. When I first encountered bird banding I was immediately struck by the conflict in the action. It is ultimately a protective act but also intrusive and stressful for the bird. Much like the protective dynamics in a relationship. The titles reflect the juxtaposition of the power-play and intentions found in parental or amorous relationship. Sometimes we hold too tight, sometimes not enough. It is an interesting dynamic that I continue to explore.

This work deals with conflict and the natural course it takes in our lives. For good or bad, conflict is part of life – the unbridled push for domination and balance found in nearly every species on the planet. It is represented in this work in a “natural”, animal form but shares a great deal with human behavior, whether personal or political, we are at the core animals as well.

The Collision series began after a night I drove home from the studio. At the end of an exit ramp, was a car that wrecked into a lamppost. The driver was alright but the car looked like a crushed can. When I saw that, the sense of security I felt in my own car was shaken. I realized that what I felt when seeing that wreck was similar to the ideas of control and protection I was working with in other projects. We drive in these sealed in environments, feeling in control, protected and empowered but in a moment that can change.