My sculptural work explores male gender norms, father/son relationships, masculinity and violence. It is informed by toys, especially those popular during my childhood in 1990's America, such as Nintendo, Legos, GI Joes, and Monopoly. I re-appropriate items such as board games, action figures, video games, and sports equipment, using digital design tools. The toys are inspiration as well as the medium of my work. I primarily choose toys which have a personal meaning for me, as they elicit memories of cooperation, challenge, creativity and sometimes disappointment and isolation.
I deconstruct these iconic items through the processes of cutting, digital alterations, molding, and digital fabrication. I reconstruct the pieces to make a statement about the roles of masculinity at an influential age and how it can be toxic or beneficial to a child’s development. I intend the work to be touchable to help trigger personal reminiscences of youthful play on an individual level.
By reconstructing familiar toys, I look beyond the simplicity of childhood, invoke past recollections, creating new perceptions. As the past influences my adult perception, my work attempts to reconcile memory and reality, providing a unique perspective on familiar memorabilia.