“For, granting that one is a person, one has necessarily also the philosophy of one’s personality; there is, however, an important distinction here. With the one it is his defects which philosophize, with the other it is with his riches and powers. The former requires his philosophy, whether it be as support, sedative, or medicine, as salvation, elevation, or self-alienation; with the latter it is merely a fine luxury, at best the voluptuousness of a triumphant gratitude.”

-Friedrich Nietzsche

Statement

Depending on who's asking, I have lots of reasons I’ll give for why I make art and what kind of art I make. Sometimes I’ll explain that I prefer to make art that is accessible to the rural community I was born into. If the person is someone who also spends a lot of time making their own art, I’ll often tell them how I like to play with perspective; their perspective, my perspective, shared perspective––perspective is the only reality, weird. Probably the explanation I find myself giving and others accepting most easily is the “magic is normal” one. For some reason it’s very common for people to repeat this back to me like, “Oh, magic is real.” No. Magic is normal. I specify the normal part and then we generally get into a conversation about what magic means. People seem very willing to agree that there is something kind of magic about this world that we’re in, even if they’re uncomfortable admitting it, and when I discuss normal magic, the magic that anyone might sometimes come into contact with in a parking lot or in a waiting room, there’s never much of an explanation beyond that. Despite the impossible vagueness of the words “normal magic” the meaning does seem to be comprehended. I paint normal magic.

But why do I paint normal magic? Well, that really does seem to me what painting is for. What I am for. What seeing and feeling are for. At this point in the conversation my “magic is normal” explanation can meet my “I like to make art that is accessible” explanation. A lot of people just want to look at art that is really, really kind to them. That doesn’t demand or explain too much. This is fine for me, because I genuinely don’t think art does a great job generally at explaining anything. I think art is a much more effective inspirer than informer and feeling drawn to remind people that magic is normal, and the world is a garden, and it feels good to love shouldn’t need an explanation. All I want is for people, anyone, to remember they can feel appreciation and wonder. Because feeling those is necessary for exploring how to continue those. I don’t know what else feels better to me than remembering to foster appreciative wonder within myself, and I think a world where those traits are fostered communally is a better one. Idk I guess you could say I hope for a better world and try to see how I can make it happen with my art, what a fool, what a dreamer.

CV

Education

MFA, Painting and Drawing, Montana State University

BFA, Painting and Drawing, Utah State University

BA, Art History, Utah State University

Exhibitions

Faculty Exhibition (group), Projects Gallery, Logan, UT

NONE OF IT’S TRUE, ALL OF IT’S REAL (solo), Tippetts and Eccles Gallery, Logan, UT

Corner Glow (solo), The Alley on Center, Logan, UT

NONE OF IT’S TRUE, ALL OF IT’S REAL  (solo), Helen E. Copeland Gallery, Bozeman, MT

Notice What You Notice (group), Northcutt Steele Gallery, Billings, MT

Third Year MFA Teaser (group), Melvin, Bozeman, MT,

Self-Reflections (group), Exit Gallery, Bozeman, MT

No Horses (group), Melvin, Bozeman, MT,

Mostly Horses (group), Melvin, Bozeman, MT

Too Many Dinner Parties (group), Melvin, Bozeman, MT

Lost Dog (group), Melvin, Bozeman, MT

Being (group), Project Gallery, Logan, UT

Masculinae (solo), Readymade Gallery, Logan, UT

The Figure (group), Project Gallery, Logan UT

USU Undergraduate Exhibition (group), Projects Gallery, Logan, UT

Iridescence (group), Merrill-Cazier Library, Utah State University, Logan, UT