Catcher, oil on canvas, 68in x 72in, 2011
About the Series
2011
The Entanglement series focuses on books, titles and text as subject matter juxtaposed with images of birds’ nests. In addition to collecting paperbacks of classic literature, I have also acquired a large variety of birds’ nests.
The nests are accumulations of natural elements interwoven to form cradles, architectural feats in their strength and endurance. They evoke references to birth and innocence, but when abandoned they have qualities of death and decay – containers of decomposing organisms revealing heightened contradictions of attraction and repulsion. Many of the nests are embedded with a surprising range of materials including dryer lint, shredded paper, carpet fiber, thread, human hair, and animal fur.
The books depicted reflect on notions of naivete versus wisdom, fantasy versus reality, and suppression versus freedom. Reading has had a profound impact in forming my own perceptions. The fictional worlds created in these novels are secondary tangible realities. The paintings are a vehicle for inquiry and commentary regarding my reflections on nature, culture, and our temporal existence.
In the Air, oil on canvas, 64in x 60in, 2012
For the Sea, oil on canvas, 64in x 60in, 2012
War and Peace, 48in x 48in, oil on canvas
One Flew Over, oil on canvas, 40in x 40in, 2011
Lightness of Being, oil on canvas, 40in x 40in, 2011
To Rumble, oil on canvas, 64in x 60in, 2011
To Kill, oil on canvas, 64in x 60in, 2011
To Claim, oil on canvas, 64in x 60in, 2011
The Seagull, oil on canvas, 40in x 40in, 2011
The Raven, oil on canvas, 40in x 40in, 2011
The Pigeon, oil on canvas, 40in x 40in, 2011
Looking Glass, oil on canvas, 68in x 72in, 2011
