Heatwave

Heatwave
12”x16” floating collage, framed

I made one of my most recent 3D floating collage, Heatwave, in the midst of a blistering streak of hot weather here in New York City. I created the piece from scraps of old sketches that I had from the past year and cut them into a lot of improvised shapes.

During my last residency, a collector had commented that my work looks like music, specifically jazz. It was the first time someone had made that observation, but it totally makes sense; not only because it’s one of my favorite musical genres that I listen to while I work, but my abstract collages are totally improvised. I approach each piece without a roadmap and let the colors and shapes guide me to a composition, which, as someone who neurotically plans ahead so often, is such a liberating departure.

It’s probably no coincidence that I made this after attending a Sun Ra Arkestra concert at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn. The experience was magical and I was reminded of how their compositions have a layered, sometimes chaotic yet still structured sound to them.

Making this piece was also a needed release from all the tension I’ve been feeling over the last several weeks from the high octane NYC mayoral Democratic mayoral primary as well as the escalating anger and fear about the the U.S.’ political trajectory and the rapidly changing climate. It feels like everything is burning and the feeling become so overwhelming. I’m thankful that I have this practice as a release.