This is America

George Floyd’s murder, and the civil unrest that followed, inspired my current body of work. I realized that a similar murder took place in my state of Colorado. The Aurora Police Department and paramedics murdered Elijah McClain. I felt rage and pain like I had never felt before. I took to the streets and knew my body of work had to address social and political issues like Black Lives Matter, a woman’s right to choose, climate change, the rights of immigrants, etc.

This series is my reaction to controversial political issues in America. My art is a part of a new age of civil rights for women, people of color, immigrants, and all those that are marginalized in this country. I want the viewer to witness the pain that these groups face in uncertain times. Will America uphold their basic human rights? Or, will America continue to oppress and ignore the challenges that these groups face? I want my viewers to confront the current political reality and realize that there must be great change in America.

I create realist images through a variety of media to reveal the trauma and pain being experienced in our current society. Realism gives me the ability to portray the true nature of politicized human rights issues in this country. I want my artwork to become a vehicle in mobilizing the viewer to take action to create change.