ARTIST STATEMENT
My work is almost always women-centered. Wispy lines, French golds, and painted-framed-subjects help deliver a sense of "royalty" the women have in my paintings. They are usually women I know and/or from the past or present. Themes I favor are ownership, bodies, and emotion. Taking the approach of a 1700 French portrait of Louis XIV, I give the women in my work that same intensity.
I'm heavily influenced by my French Creole heritage. Centered from New Orleans on my mother's side and Bay St. Louis, Mississippi on my father's side. Celestine Labat was my great aunt who lived against the grain. Passing at 104 years of age, she lived a life of high education and worldly travels. When only destined to get an eighth grade education in the racist south, she pushed boundaries and was one of the first black women to attend University of Southern California and acquired her Masters Degree in education. She made friends like artist, Richmond Barthé. We all called her Aunt Teenie. I have memories of visiting Aunt Teenie's home as a child. The furniture reflected her travels--so grand and ornate. She clearly took control of her life when the world told her she couldn't.
Framing my subjects puts them on a pedestal and helps claim their space. The use of door-knockers, keys, and key-holes give women-subjects ownership of their bodies. Often holding their own key to their door. In a climate where women's bodies are violated and not respected, we all need to have a conversation about how we think about women. Women claiming their bodies is not offensive, but their right.
I adopt themes I see in male-centered paintings and apply them to my female figures. Their stance, gaze, and wonder is a relationship with the viewer. Sometimes soft, sometimes more intense. Using symbolism with door knockers (permission to enter) and keys (access) is exciting because they're beautiful, yet they a strike a conversation.