ARTIST STATEMENT

 I am an artist based in El Reno, Oklahoma who primarily works with photography and printmaking. I also have a large interest in philosophy, which inspires me greatly. French writer Marcel Proust’s notion that beauty is something people should actively seek for themselves rather than passively encounter is my current fascination. This heavily influences how I view my work, and it tends to dictate what I choose to photograph. I got into photography at a young age but I didn't take it seriously until the end of my freshman year in college. I had become enamored with the medium once I learned more about composition and general art principles. 

I consider my work to be reflective of the inner workings of my mind in the sense that I try to take photos that remind me of other things or feelings that I have previously experienced. However, I realize that no one is going to have the exact same takeaway from an image as I do, which is what I love most about art. In accordance with Proust, I would hope that everyone who looks at my art is able to somehow connect it to their own lives and personal experiences. From here, I hope that the viewer may expand their understanding of beauty to encompass more than conventional beauty standards. My work highlights what I deem as beautiful with the aim of expressing to the viewer that beauty becomes more accessible when we seek to find it ourselves.