Artist Statement for the Ameritopia Series
In this new body of work entitled The Ameritopia Series, I am continuing an exploration of female identity within the constructs of the idealized, mythicized America.
Cultures throughout history have had a collective vision of their more perfect selves; whether it was called the Afterworld, Mount Olympus, Heaven, Nirvana, or what-have-you, these realms mirrored the then current reality. Architecture, fashion and elements of everyday life were depicted in these idealized worlds.
So, what is the “American Utopia”? If culture is alive, does it dream? What does America dream about itself?
I am using the iconic mid-century modernist architecture of such luminaries as Neutra, Lloyd-Wright, and Koenig as a backdrop emblematic of our collective future vision of hope and optimism. Incorporating appropriated imagery from such disparate sources as mid-century Vogue magazines to 1960s toy catalogs,these paintings create a narrative that is both personal and cultural. Speaking to the fears of our current cultural climate – a faltering economy, a government mired in ceaseless bickering, an environment on the verge of crisis – these paintings offer a vision of our idealized selves; glimpses of life in the American Utopia.
