Installation: Spell of Sensuous Responses

"Caught up in a mass of abstractions are attention hypnotized by a host of human-made Technologies that only reflect us back to ourselves, it is all too easy for us to forget our carnal inherence in a more-than-human Matrix of Sensations and sensibilities"

"Repeat and explain what they had said in other words by getting us to listen to and ponder their own speaking"

"Thus the written letters bring that was done but only "The Conceit of Wisdom" making men seem to know much when in fact they know little"

"This Earthen vessel this reveals aspects of its presence to me only by withholding other aspects of itself for further exploration"

"Language in this view is rather like a code it is a way of representing actual things and events in the perceived world but has no internal non-arbitrary connections to that world and hence is readily separable from it"

"The diverse forms of the earth still speak and offer guidance to humankind albeit and gestures that we cannot always directly understand"

Sculpture: Re-contextualizing objects

"That One Dark Night"

The use of a tan painted space heater was in hopes of turning the object into more of a being by a unifying color with no labels or logos. Used shoes with wear and tear show duration and also makes the object feel lesser. Warped metal and broken bulbs would hope to hold a narrative of a past experience that in-turn caused it to break. The plug lays in front of the heater with a bent metal tip rendering it useless.

Materials: Space Heater, Paint, Shoes
Size: 1.5' x 1.5' x 1'

Sculpture: By Chance "Collapse"

"Collapse"

I wanted to portray an off balanced object that seems partially destroyed and looking as it should collapse at any moment through weight perception and composition. During the time this piece was displayed in the hallwaysomeone had knocked it over due to its balanced weight.

Materials: White paint, Black Paint, Grey Paint, Foam, Wood, Screws

Size: 3' x 2' x 1.5'

Sculpture: Materials and Context

"The Steak is a Lie"

The amount of antibiotics pumped into the animals we eat is beyond that which we administer to humans.. I chose to make a steak and have a friend paint it, so that during my critique I would lie about the color and style choices of the paint, having everyone believe that I put the time into painting the fake steak and never revealing to them the truth. I placed emoji icon bandaids on the fake steak in an X. The use of bandaids were to give the idea that the steak had just received a shot or wound and is being covered. 

Materials: Magic Sculpt, Acrylic Paint, Bandaids

Size: 14" x 9"

Installation: Site Specific Outdoor

For my site specific outdoor installation I chose to highlight social rights activists by creating a replicated podium that was used by Martin Luther King Jr at his most know "I have a dream" speech. I placed a bluetooth speaker with an audio track on loop of a an expert of MLK's I have a dream speech and an audio recording of MLK speaking to the owner of the lodge restaurant in St. Augustine. Where MLK held a peaceful protest in response to segregation in restaurants and was later arrested for his action of protesting. On top of the podium i placed a printed excerpt from part of the I had a dream speech ... and ... which i felt are very powerful statements when thinking about the time the words were said. I then chose the site of the Fredrick Douglas Memorial on St. George Street in St. Augustine Florida. The day this took place was on the First Friday Art Walk so  St. George street was packed. I set my podium up and sat half a block away while watching people interact and observe the piece. An hour and fifteen minutes into the piece being up, two police officers showed up. I was sitting further away so i played it low key and waited to see what they would do. They realized i was involved because of my book bag and camera bag as well as talking with the person they had just questioned wether it was theirs or not. They told me there is nothing allowed to be set up on St. George street so i said i would take it down. I asked if i could take a few pictures and they said yes. I took some pictures then left with my podium.

Materials: MDF, White Paint, nails, wood glue, Led light, bluetooth speaker

Size: ~ 4.8" tall, 3' wide

I then decided to take the podium to a location in Lincolnville, St. Augustine where MLK stayed, on King St.

RESEARCH: Source; St. Augustine Historic Society

Research began in Free masonry and secret societies, changing to social rights and events taking place in St Augustine

Artist Residency Post 9

This was my last visit to SJYA. Prior to visiting, i talked with Madi about what i should do on my last visit. We both came to the conclusion that bringing snacks and hanging out with the guys would be a good way to end it. By hanging out and letting them express ideas and thoughts about the class. When i arrived I gave the staff the name of the group of guys that had continuously been in my class that were most involved in creating work and being engaged. When they arrived in the room i handed out pieces of paper and asked them to write down what the class gave them, whether it was an escape from the place they were in, emotions they felt when working with clay or overall what the class was like for them. They all wrote notes expressing the feelings of relaxation and a release from stress and negativity. After they wrote i rewarded them with snacks as a parting gift and continued to hangout and talk with them. I was able to speak one on one with some of the guys since a few would walk around and talk about the music videos they had playing on the TV. I listened to what some of the guys had to say and encouraged them to follow their dreams and goal, and gave them bits of knowledge that i have learned throughout my life when i would stumble. When i went to leave they all shook my hand and thanked me for the class, snacks, and wished me well as i did the same, expressing to them that i beloved in every one of them and that they could achieve greatness if they put their mind to it. I left with a good feeling that i might have made an impact on a some young individuals future actions through the decisions they make and mindset/thoughts they have.

Installation: 30 Minute Outdoor

"McDonald's Kills"

Do you want to die, someone choose your time, to be hung by your ankles, throat slit, only to choke on your blood while your screams and cries are ignored?. "But thats why God put them on this planet, for us to eat, its natural" *stuffs mouth full of processed foods while watching tv in an air conditioned house*.. We breed them to eat them, whats natural about that. Go hunting if you they're here for that purpose, go kill them yourself.
Would you kill the cow yourself? Would you hang it by its ankles, slit its throat until it and watched until it stopped thrashing for another breathe, only to choke on its own blood, skin it, clean it, cook it? Nah, lets pay someone in a far away place to do it for us. Dissociation of reality when you pull up to a speaker to order that pleasure you so much crave. "hmm should i get a number 4 or 7..?" Drive up dead cow in a bag, how convenient. "DON'T FORGET ABOUT TIMMY, Get em a "Happy" meal with a cool toy inside." The price of that toy isn't in cash but in life, the life of a cow to condition little Timmy that you get a toy whenever mommy and daddy buy you a kids meal. What if your kid had to watch the cow be killed before they were allowed to eat there "Happy" meal, what if you had to watch it when you were a kid?. Strongly doubt you'd be excited about that little red box and golden arches. THINK!