Strangers will stumble upon our relics after we expire, but only those who knew us will own our story. Our candid photographs, art, clothes, and even our most intimate possessions like locks of hair will eventually end up in the hands of those who never knew us. These things make us immortal in a way, but how does it affect those who are already gone? I believe that death is only for the living and dying and not for the dead. We have reminders of loved ones passed. These memories viscerally affect us, but they do not affect the expired. Relics are reminders of our mortality; we must investigate the feelings they provide us; only when we are comfortable with those feelings and what they represent will we be comfortable in death. This project is the culmination of research done on the relics of my family members, both currently living and some deceased, along with my bodily ephemera.
Mother’s Cocoon, Digital inkjet print, 2017
Katharina, Digital inkjet print, 2017
Mother’s Cremation Card, Digital inkjet print, 2017
Father’s Cremation Card, Digital inkjet print, 2017
Things to Remember, Digital inkjet print, 2017
Gold Cross Funeral Trust, Digital inkjet print, 2017
Opa’s Wallet, Digital inkjet print, 2017
Mútti and Oma, Digital photograph, 2017
Mother’s Cocoon #2, Digital inkjet print, 2017
Wisdom Teeth, Digital inkjet print, 2017
Clippings, Digital inkjet print, 2017
Shedding, Digital inkjet print, 2017
There is a new fear on the horizon: the artificially intelligent takeover. The amount of data we consume via social media catered to us through an algorithm is remarkable. We choose to use this technology, becoming devoted to it over time. Each day becomes harder to step away from the digital realm. The online space we are addicted to has brought society closer while also destroying aspects of raw humanity. This digital universe devised by humans is quickly becoming artificially intellectual. The digital world intrigues me, but I am also fearful of it; humans are closer now to living in a science fiction movie than ever before, so what happens next? What does our world look like if we shift our devotion to something created by an automated program? How could digital immortality present itself? The world presented in this project comments on organized religion, bearing characteristics of my previously practiced Mormon religion alongside cult-like brainwashing techniques concerning new digital community possibilities.
The Bluetech Family Network, Video, 2018
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Emily AI 2.0, Digital inkjet print, 2018
The Family Cache, Digital inkjet print, 2018
Ricky, Silicone cast, makeup, 2017
Colton, Silicone cast, makeup, 2017
Lorena, Silicone cast, makeup, 2017
Naomi, Silicone cast, makeup, 2017
Sam, Silicone cast, makeup, 2017
The Trinity, Digital inkjet print, 2018
The Promise, Digital inkjet print, 2018
The Baptism, Digital inkjet print, 2018
Women can't always play the victim. With a feminist movement happening in horror, there are roles open to strong female leads. The classic final girl ideology is taking cinema by storm, but what is the reaction when the women stop being tormented and start becoming the tormentors? The new villain might not always wear a grotesque costume, but women are getting time as the antagonist on the screen. These images became a test of how society responds to the role reversal of victims to villains, taken from cinema and urban legend character inspiration.
Michelle Kruger, Digital photograph, 2021
Michelle Kruger #2, Digital photograph, 2021
A Hard Day's Work, Digital inkjet print, 2016
The Bunnywoman of Fairfax, Digital inkjet print, 2016
Bunnywoman of Fairfax #2, Digital inkjet, 2016
Lady Leather, Digital inkjet print, 2016
Lady Leather #2, Digital inkjet print, 2016
Antheia, Altered silicone cast, makeup, thread, pins, hair, synthetic flowers, 2021
Antheia detail, Altered silicone cast, makeup, thread, pins, hair, synthetic flowers, 2021
Anna, Wax, candlewick, makeup, 2017
This candle was lit at the beginning of second year reviews at Cranbrook Academy of Art and burned for hours while mortality was discussed in the space.
Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder, Silicone cast, makeup, synthetic eyelashes, synthetic hair, 2019
Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder, Silicone cast, makeup, synthetic eyelashes, synthetic hair, 2019
Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder, Silicone cast, makeup, synthetic eyelashes, synthetic hair, 2019
Counterphobic Attitude, Documented performance, 2017
This was a documented performance of biting through 101 balloons to desensitize the performer to the fear of balloons popping.
Roller Rink Party!, Digital inkjet print, 2022
Hayy hayy X-Ray!, Digital inkjet print, 2022
Untitled, Digital inkjet print, 2022
Untitled, Digital inkjet print, 2022
Archival inkjet print, 16"x24," 2024
Archival inkjet print, 12"x16," 2024
Archival inkjet print, 12"x16," 2024
Archival inkjet print, 18"x24", 2024
Archival inkjet print, 16"x24", 2024
