I am the grandson of a coal miner from a small town in Plum Borough outside of Pittsburgh. The coal mine he worked in since he was thirteen years old now lays unused and neglected. I was born in Youngstown, Ohio eight years after the close of the last steel mill and lived there nearly two decades. My family spans the rust belt of America and has directly felt the effects of the death of the coal and steel industries. I was baptized, raised and confirmed in the Catholic Church. My artwork is based on these experiences, the experiences of my family, and more over the experiences of millions of the descendants of miners, or ex-Catholics, or those who pass the abandoned industrial parks of their hometowns every day.
Accumulation is a formal element of my work that draws from my background in fiber arts. My fixation on accumulation can be tied to witnessing rituals growing up. Whether they are spiritual or commonplace routines, rituals are a part of everyday life. Ritualism in Catholicism is a mixture of absurdity, pageantry and the sacred. This includes attendance at Mass, Holy Communion and Reconciliation, practicing penitence, and the prayers of the rosary. Everyday rituals are significantly simpler: shaving, transportation, going to the same task oriented job everyday, cooking, and housework. Conceptually, these ritual influences from my life augment the ritualism in my crafting and the art making process.
Transformation is an aspect in several of my pieces that can be attributed to the act of accumulation. By slowly building up subtle materials, a scale shift occurs from small to monumental. My pieces themselves are subtle at-a-glance but expressive and intricate when examined. Across a gallery, a viewer may miss my piece because of its muted color palette and material handling; however, the discovery benefits the piece by increasing intimacy between art and the viewer. Conceptually, my work is deliberately vague because my feelings are conflicted about the topics in my work. I view much of my family heritage and religious upbringing dualistically. For that reason I present both sides in my work. This allows for the viewer to: observe both sides, step into my world and make their own decision.