As a child I had a very imaginative mind. A master at playing pretend, because of this need to compose a make believe world. Equipped with my record player, smurf figurines and even a self-designed army of shoelace dolls I called String People. Fixated on tv and images of strong female leads, I enjoyed shows like Dance Fever and Solid Gold. I imagined a safe world where I was a star - accepted and adored! Being the youngest child of 7 to a father who was a former Franciscan Monk, my real world was far from it. But I had my safety net of music, drawing and dolls of string to give me purpose.
When I started art school (FIT) in 1992 I wasn't sure the direction I would take. My major was fine arts, but I had an opportunity to dabble in jewelry, fashion and photography. I loved all of it, especially photography. Being in control of what I wanted to shoot and then able to manipulate the image in the dark room felt empowering. It was the era of Supermodels and fashion was electric. Going in to NYC from Long Island to attend this school was like therapy. I felt unbreakable, as though I belonged for the first time. My fantasy and real world were colliding. I was with other creatives at an exciting time in an exciting place.
After FIT, I was accepted into The Parsons School of Design for photography. So thrilling, but I chose not to go. Instead I started working in the fashion industry and honing my own style of painting. I used images from fashion, film and music to develop a style that was powerful, yet threatening. Adapting my love of fashion photography into my fine art pieces, the style has evolved many times over the years. But my focus has stayed the same; each piece a suit of divine and devilish armor, evoking my strength.
In recent years, photography crept back in by accident. Road trip excursions visiting bleak and run down areas started to pique my interest. Documenting them with my iPhone became a new artistic expression. I could see structure and nature coinciding, inspiring stories of loneliness and heartache to bubble up to the surface. Showcasing the abandoned and broken as a therapeutic process began to speak to my younger self.
When I started art school (FIT) in 1992 I wasn't sure the direction I would take. My major was fine arts, but I had an opportunity to dabble in jewelry, fashion and photography. I loved all of it, especially photography. Being in control of what I wanted to shoot and then able to manipulate the image in the dark room felt empowering. It was the era of Supermodels and fashion was electric. Going in to NYC from Long Island to attend this school was like therapy. I felt unbreakable, as though I belonged for the first time. My fantasy and real world were colliding. I was with other creatives at an exciting time in an exciting place.
After FIT, I was accepted into The Parsons School of Design for photography. So thrilling, but I chose not to go. Instead I started working in the fashion industry and honing my own style of painting. I used images from fashion, film and music to develop a style that was powerful, yet threatening. Adapting my love of fashion photography into my fine art pieces, the style has evolved many times over the years. But my focus has stayed the same; each piece a suit of divine and devilish armor, evoking my strength.
In recent years, photography crept back in by accident. Road trip excursions visiting bleak and run down areas started to pique my interest. Documenting them with my iPhone became a new artistic expression. I could see structure and nature coinciding, inspiring stories of loneliness and heartache to bubble up to the surface. Showcasing the abandoned and broken as a therapeutic process began to speak to my younger self.
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