In my large-scale portraits from photographs, I use a highly synthetic palette to reformulate the look of the skin of my subjects. I over-describe the surface of the flesh so that every detail remains in focus, removing the image one step further from reality. Through this method of painting, and the scale of the portraits, I am able to experiment with the tension between the attraction and repulsion of viewers when confronted with artificial representations of the human figure.

My interest in portraiture lies in the connection between the subject and the viewer, a genuine moment of empathy. It is a natural tendency to empathize with the image of another being. In my portraits, I push this emotional response by deliberately manipulating the gaze between camera and subject before I begin the process of making the painting. Utilizing the conventions of portraiture, I investigate the connectivity and authenticity of the gaze within a synthetic style of imagery.

I invest myself in the persona of each painting with various changes in hairstyle, wardrobe, makeup, and stature as markers of the individual, while also generalizing the subject within the larger context of my work. By breaking apart the painted flesh into separate planes of color, I’m able to participate in the classical tradition of exploring the surface and nature of the skin. At the same time, I focus on elements of contemporary style and design, consumerism, and popular culture as a means of heightening the accessibility of the work and aiming the paintings at the consumptive desires of their audience.