My work is in conversation with both street art and abstract expressionism. Everyday I seek out mark making, or tagging, on walls, benches, and other public spaces as a means of inspiration. Similarly, I am inspired by artists working in the realm of abstract expressionism. Their methods, gestures, and palettes are something that I have become obsessed with in order to formulate my own ideology and system in the arena of painting. By incorporating the sensibilities of street art and abstract expressionist painting, I create pieces that articulate my experience in both daily life and my education in painting.

I have always admired the uniqueness and expressive nature of a tag. Graffiti can often be an eye sore or poorly made, but it is an inevitable staple of urban aesthetics. The unauthorized nature of graffiti and tags can be controversial as well. While these controversies are considered in my work, I am more concerned with the psychological and expressive aspect of tagging in the public space. While my work is created in the setting of my studio space; my materials and mark making strategies are confined to rules related to graffiti and tagging. My rules in sense of the scale and use of canvas is particular to institutional art. All of these rules are especially important in my studio setting as it helps destroy the demarcation of both of the realms of art I am interested in.

From simple marks on walls that are reminiscent of minimalism, to tags that accumulate to the point that they become evocative of an abstract expressionist painting. These two worlds clash in my studio as I attempt to make works that reflect the purity of abstract expressionism and the territorial and sometimes subconscious art of the street. I am ultimately concerned with painting works that reflect the world around me and my studio practice has given me the opportunity to investigate the relationships of power, authority, and authorization that is present in both graffiti and the world of institutional art.