Text from my 2019 thesis:

There is some debate in scientific and philosophical circles as to whether the term “Anthropocene” is an accurate descriptor of the current geological epoch. While it is indisputable that human activity is affecting climatic and ecological systems on a global scale, it is necessary to clarify that not all humans are equally complicit in this rapidly unfolding (and eminently avoidable) catastrophe––in fact, destructive practices advanced by a tiny percentage of people (namely controllers of industry) far outweigh those of the vast majority. In an effort to more clearly identify the perpetrators of the crisis, I offer for your consideration a term with greater specificity: Assholocene.

Transmissions, a pop-up exhibition hosted by ecoartspace in honor of the April 8, 2024 eclipse occurred in Austin, Texas today. Two of my pieces from the Down to Earth series were included: Elegy for Planet Earth (11:16 video with soundscape), and 11x17 inkjet print of a new collage titled Down To Earth: Sea Sponges.

The famed 1972 “Blue Marble” photograph of Planet Earth viewed from space captured by the Apollo 17 crew offered a breathtaking perspective on our miraculously life-supporting—and ultimately miniscule—shared home. At the same time, it heralded an age in which humans were no longer inextricably bound to Earth. Leaving suddenly became a viable—even, for some,desirable—possibility. The farthest reaches of the universe were suddenly open to study and exploration, as well as extraction and colonization.

Fifty years hence, billionaires are pushing luxury rocket rides and claiming that, upon the collapse of terrestrial ecosystems (hastened by the actions/enterprises of said billionaires), colonies on the Moon or Mars are the next frontier.

My ongoing Down to Earth series suggests a different vantage point. Small collages made from vintage imagery with the addition of Earth from space are odes to the inner reaches of the place we already are.

The new collage for Transmissions features sea sponges. The illustration by Else Bostelmann (1882-1961) is from page 324 of The Book of Fishes published in 1939 by the National Geographic Society. Sponges have recently been used in research indicating that rising global temperatures correspond directly with industrialization over the past 300 years.

The Tonal Relativity Studies are on view at the Center for New Music in San Francisco from March 1, 2021 through April 30, 2021. These works are diagrams of musical intervals and sets of intervallic patterns for the purposes of contemplation and exploration. A musical scale employing twelve equally-spaced tones is represented by a spectrum of 12 equally-spaced colors. The original pieces, mapped out in gouache on paper during the 2020 pandemic lockdown, were made into prints for this exhibition. More info on the project here.

Radical Reimaginings is a virtual exhibition curated by 516 ARTS and the Kolaj Institute. On view from August 22 through December 31, 2020.

My exhibition statement:

I want to reimagine the potential of the imaginary. To imagine is the first step toward realization—what once seemed impossible can begin to take form in the mind’s eye (or ear as the case may be). Collage can function as a lens through which the marvelous underpinnings of the commonplace are revealed. It can serve as a map or guide, a catalyst, prescription or elixir for maker and viewer alike.

More thoughts on this work at the Obviousblog.