Artist Statement

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The feeling that ties my work together is comedy. I find a valuable levity in visually portraying absurd situations. Having grown up in the suburbs of Connecticut in the 2000s, I felt surrounded by absurd contradictions. Grown-ups who would shake their heads one moment at how children don’t go out and play like they used to, then in the next moment chastise them for going outside when strangers may be lurking. Animated films and comics were a place of mental refuge. I was most interested in classic Technicolor Walt Disney films. It is from these films that I was exposed to the creative philosophy I came to embrace. 

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As Walt Disney himself said, “You're dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway.” Though my childhood is long since passed, I believe it is important to maintain a respect for child-like essence. People are much like nesting dolls. The child never really grows up, they just stay hidden inside. This is the enduring strength of visual art. It is the most primal, most universal language to ever exist. Strange shapes and amusing visuals are universally intriguing, and I wish to intrigue. Beyond that, I seek to reflect the absurd back onto the world, or else inject some absurdity into it. Visual puns are a particular favorite. 

My tool of choice has always been pencil on paper. The pencil is an unassuming utensil with a tremendous capacity for elegance. Often cheap, but always reliable. It is only appropriate that the tool which carried me through childhood continue to support me into adulthood.