(this piece was created for the "Vice" show)

Corte is a Spanish word for cut. Somewhere in the realm of self-mutilation and self-destruction is where I began thinking about this piece. I chose cutting, specifically, as the vice to represent because it has been brought to my attention several times and it conjures up many images. The colors were kept very "fleshy" for obvious reasons, but are important for this particular show. Having a vice is another way of saying you have flaws and you are human -- of flesh. It was a challenge for me to decide not to use a drop of true red in the painting because every time I visualized this before completion, I saw red. It is inevitable that when you cut yourself, there will be blood involved. I didn't necessarily want to illustrate gore, but to get a feeling of chaos and release across. The birds and the hand are both elements of hope for the person suffering. Perhaps this individual has received outside help. The circle represents an energy center, or life-force. The fact that it is missing means that something has been severed on a much deeper level than the physical.

I glued several pieces of canvas to a masonite panel, leaving the edges frayed. It symbolizes the unraveling of feelings, the mind, etc. The patchwork, in a way, mirrors the pieces of the figure. Before applying paint, I textured the canvas. Overall, I wanted a raw appearance.

Thanks for looking.