this series explores the body: interrupted, restrained, encumbered, imploding, exploding. I examine the various forms of stress on the body caused by both internal and external factorsand the ways in which they manifest themselves in the body. The stressors I am interested ininclude physical stress on the body caused by gravity, weight, pressure, temperature, andconsumption, as well as mental or emotional stress posed by societal expectations and individual anxieties.

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In composing my paintings, I select images from a variety of sources—magazines, three

dimensional objects, my own paintings—all of which possess a certain immediacy, tangibility,

and physicality. I then manipulate these images in a way that disrupts the harmony and familiarity of their origins, forcing the body to interact with objects and the environment in ways that are uncomfortable, inhibitory, and in some cases, painful. The combination of disparate materials and images blur the lines between painting and object and invite the viewer to engage with the work in unexpected ways as he or she is forced to decipher between painted sections and sections taken from outside sources.