Thanks to LIAEP, I was able to pursue a deeply unconventional residency during the pandemic with the J. Hammond Project in London, UK. I was able to live, work, and quarantine within the gallery which resulted in a solo show as well as the first international showcase of my artwork. Due to the pandemic, I was not able to pursue research trips as first proposed, but instead remained in London where I was able to produce a much larger show than expected and connect with a larger community of artists and supporters. The opportunity to make work and show in London made possible by the LIAEP Grant was paramount at this point in my career and has opened the doors to many more opportunities to travel and engage with communities around the world. Thanks to LIAEP, not only have I shown work in London and Paris but am planning on returning to Europe for several upcoming shows.
The LIAEP grant allowed the time and space to continue work and research on a series of works I started in 2016 entitled “Waymarks.” This body of work considers a certain sense of theatricality to the American West, especially in our disconnect from the reality of American history and the nostalgia that has been shown for things that never happened. The universally understood identity of an American, as it related to the West, is of an individual’s ability to tame or conquer. Once the West was “conquered”, there was a need to keep this American identity alive, resulting in the creation of new frontiers to conquer, leaving the symbols associated with the old frontier behind, like a breadcrumb trail. I am sharing the discarded symbols as translucent signs leading throughout the space amongst lines drawn in sand and inviting the audience on a journey of their own making. The residency allowed me the time and resources to develop a new context where I was able to collapse the ideas of the West with the land I stood on in London. This was achieved through the use of local sand embedded into the sculptures that was collected from the Essex coast.
An unexpected experience of this residency was the required quarantine of two weeks. During this time, I had the most focused period of my life to contemplate and produce my work: its impact and the way that the international audience participates with the perceptions of the American West I am examining. This was a deeply fruitful and creative time – a solace among the frightening health crisis. The solo show at the J. Hammond Projects “Straight Shot from Here” was open September 3, 2020 to October 14, 2020 and was available to view by appointment only during this time. Regardless of the restrictions, many people were able to engage with and learn about my work. Due to the global crisis, we felt more united and divided in turn. It’s fascinating that a longstanding frame of reference for this type of change is the Cowboy.
