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Artist Statement

Studies show that the average viewer only stands in front of an art piece for approximately seven seconds. When photographing my various tools and equipment, I had one goal in mind: Make the viewer have to look at the photograph longer than seven seconds. I wanted to make the tools and equipment hard to recognize. I wanted to give them new environments and create new meaning.

The items featured in this collection of photographs are traditionally seen as masculine. They are strong and sturdy, at times ugly or dirty. I believe that these tools can be fluid in purpose and in representation. In this sense, the tools become a metaphor for the fluidity of gender and a way to begin upsetting assumptions about assigning gender to all kinds of everyday objects.

For example, a floor jack is meant to lift heavy items, I explored what it would look like if it were purely decoration. What does it mean to be decorative and what assumptions about gender does decorating something imply? Can an item’s purpose go beyond its looks or intended use? Is there a way to make something large and unsightly seem sleek and beautiful? Is it possible to make something as heavy as a floor jack seem to float in space? While working on this exhibition, I explored these questions and sought to expose the fluidity of purpose and upset common assumptions associated with these tools.