This particular collection isn't an aesthetically pleasing piece by conventional standards. It isn't something one would want to hang in a home. It is a statement of world hunger. A statement of the world that is suffering all around us. A world that we have become so numb to and averted our eyes from.
With my portrait series on wood, I want to depict the souls of those we refuse to be aware of. I want their eyes to capture, captivate, and inspire the viewer to go out and help. Monochromatic wood stains illustrate the bleak, insignificant feeling shared towards them, in attempts to convey a tinge of an indifferent and impalpable existence. I also brought subtle hints of red to the surface. The red may create a sense of urgency to help, a feeling of optimism of hope for those souls, or maybe even a sense of anger for not realizing the need before. No matter what the viewer receives from this, the artist in me is content if he or she is now aware of the broken souls.
Along with my portraits, I have created a world map composed of broken vessels. These pots were ugly, broken and unusable, and subsequently just forgotten about. They were cast aside never to be looked at or acknowledged again. They are just like the broken people of this world. But there is hope. With nourishment, love, and a vision of being proactive, we can put this world back together.
