The earliest memory I have is from my third birthday party. My parents converted our suburban backyard into a three-year-old fantasy land, complete with a hot dog cart and a clown named Andy, who pushed me on a swing that hung from a tree that isn’t there anymore. I also remember how I started to make differernt funny faces at this age, for other people’s amusement, and with my dad’s encouragement. The scowly face didn’t exactly reflect my happy childhood but it did make other people laugh -- and I knew that.
I still scowl to joke around, particularly in photos. I scowl when I read and concentrate, and when I have to make decisions. I’ve scowled my way through the production of this body of work and over the course of my research I also came across dozens of photos of models in editorial settings and on the runway giving their best scowly faces.
The research for this project began with a comparitive look at buildings and bodies. I searched through images of my own and photos from other artists, selecting lines and details here and there, drawing them, moving the drawings around and putting them together. This practice advanced and before I knew it I was looking at an original collection of mixed media works of art, editorials, pages and pages of thoughts and ideas, and contributed work from other artists who I’m lucky enough to call my friends and family.
I’ve recognized that it is necessary to honor the process just as much as the final product. Striking the balance has been a challenge. I’ve scowled each step of the way but now I can say that I’m smiling.