You are here

Includes bibliographical references (p. 30-31)I am interested in the ways in which we understand, interpret, and inhabit the world. Having spent most of my life in and around upstate New York, my own perception of my environmental surroundings is grounded in a dramatically different landscape and history. Relocating to San Diego and exploring its outlying regions -- the southern California deserts in particular -- has vastly changed how I perceive and engage with these surroundings. Having grown accustomed to the lush mountainous landscapes and small towns of the Northeast, the desert expanses and urban expansion have been eye opening for me. I draw much of the inspiration for my recent work from a personal fascination with our occupation of and interaction with this unique landscape. My recent work is a conversation between the viewer, the art object, and their surroundings. It exists as a point of contact as well as a point of reflection. I use recognizable forms such as houses, sawhorses, lifeguard chairs, etc. ... to create juxtapositions between familiar and confounding in order to allow a space for the re-evaluation of ones environs. Some exist as integrated parts of the landscape, both built and natural, and others stand alone as an opportunity for reflection. All are intended to open a dialogue about how we perceive and understand our everyday spaces. Through my work I speak of how we interact with and interpret both manufactured and natural landscapes. You Are Here represents my exploration of these ideas over the last year. The title and presentation suggest a mediated experience reminiscent of state or national parks, Historic landmarks, and shopping malls. These works address, from various angles, perceptions and perspectives of our everyday surroundings and attempt to re-imagine our interactions with them. Warped perspective and scale play heavily in these sculptures as this provides an opportunity to interpret something vast as approachable, while bringing a sense of absurdity to the work. Presented as both gallery and outdoor installations, I try to provide a range of spaces for contemplation of the ideas of observation, perspective, inhabitation, and perception of place. My hope is that viewers will walk away considering their own understanding of their surrounding landscape as well as their place in it. You Are Here was installed in the Everett Gee Jackson Gallery at San Diego State University from April 23-28, 2011