Doomscroll

noun /ˈduːm.skroʊ.lɪŋ/ :(humorous) “the act of spending an excessive amount of time reading large quantities of negative news online, even though that news is saddening, disheartening, or depressing.”

I began a new series of paintings just months before Hurricane Ian hit, not knowing how much impact the series would have on me or what Ian would have on the series. Most of the materials are found items, which I thought I would never have enough of. After the storm hit there was more material than I knew what to really do with, but I knew that I had to create. And from that lived experience of surviving the storm an idea for a show was formed. Stranded for a week without service or power, I begged for the ability to just get on social media and scroll for hours to take my mind off of what had just happened, but what I ended up with was a doomscroll! The news was finally starting to pour in about what had happened and I spend a morning sobbing in a friend’s bathroom. Once I was back home I spent hours online saving memes and watching comedy videos to take my mind off things and I felt at peace. That peace was brief as I began to travel around the area and take photographs and find the materials I wanted for my paintings. I would take 4 months away from painting to cook for the community and provide care and shelter for friends who lost everything. I found peace in helping people and not in doomscrolling. Every part of that experience and the current state of our area of Florida has gone into making these pieces, objects from friends’ homes, personal effects that were both damaged and saved, paintings that survived the flood water, images taken of the area, mementos of times past, are all combined with the thing that first gave me peace after it all; memes.

These works and this show is meant to feel like a social media timeline feed, random and chaotic but calming and collected at the same time. A selection of time from before and after a nightmare that a lot still suffer with. My hope is that this show gives some relief and joy to those still struggling.

The show will consist of brand new, never exhibited work consisting of “Compilations” or mixed media paintings, paper works, and sculptures. The paintings and paper pieces will be hung around the room with the center of the room divided by three sculpture works

Paintings:
-“Chaos comes in Three” tryptic hung vertically on a thin wall at the entrance as to welcome the viewer into the space
-“It Comes In Waves” large painting on the front large wall to the right of center
-Two small untitled canvas paintings hung to the left of the painting
-Vertical and smaller paperwork hung between the windows
-“Bad Habits”, “Night Terrors”, and “Ruinous”- Three large canvas paintings placed on the farthest back wall spaced equally
-Small paperwork on the wall to the left of large paintings next to the window
-Large paperwork hung on the right of the next piece
-“Caustic” large metal painting with attachments hung on a large wall between windows
-Large paperwork hung on the left of the last piece
-Large Neon Painting on metal (in progress)?
-Smaller paperwork’s hung
-“Lithium Jesus” small metal painting with glassware hung right adjacent to the entrance

Sculptures(in progress):
-“Concrete Evidence ” a selection from the Stone Robot edition will be placed on a pedestal in the center of the last third of the room.
-“False Flag(For the Children)” will hang in the center of the center third of the room from a black rope at eye level. Children’s shoes will be placed underneath.
-“Hurricane Barricade” a caution barricade with a mixed media painting on one side of it will be placed on the floor in the center of the first third of the room.

The painting list will be revised upon visiting the space to make sure all the works fit and the artist statement will go under further development to produce a tighter, more cohesive message.