The ordinary objects, spaces, people and places I encounter in my everyday life provide much of the inspiration for my work. I strive to signify and dispute the supposed monotony and disposability of daily life by focusing on what is conventionally considered mundane. When taken out of context and viewed from a new perspective, what is normally commonplace has the potential to become novel and extraordinary and, most importantly, memorable.
My own habits, routines, social interactions and possessions are often used as a platform for these investigations. Consequently, much of my work tends to take the form of self-portraiture. Although I am the subject and my experience is completely subjective, my intention is not to focus solely on myself. I wish to be seen as a surrogate for the universal experience of day-to-day life.
I'ts Nice to Meet You! is an interactive inflatable self-portrait that emphasizes our inherent desire for social interaction. It could visually be described as a wacky-waving-arm-flailing-inflatable-tube-person, much like the ones seen advertising grand openings or at car dealerships along the side of the road. The sculpture was commissioned and made by an inflatable images advertising company, and its height and physical proportions - such as the chest, waist and hip measurements - match those of my own figure. The caricature of my face was drawn from a digital picture that I emailed to another artist I found through a Google search on the internet. The figure is activated and inflated by motion detectors that turn the fan and blowers on when they sense the presence of another person. It then deflates after 30 seconds, or the approximate time it would take for a viewer to lose interest and walk away.
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