Illustrations

Illusories
Ink on Paper
5″x7″
individual images 3″x4″
2010

I became interested in the artificial images of the world we present to children which they embrace as real. I used stuffed animals and children’s illustrations as models for these artificial images. In these works the question arises as to what if anything other than temporary comfort do these objects and images offer to children that is instructive about the actual world? Does a stuffed monkey or polar bear (fabricated in China) teach a child about a real monkey or very un-huggable polar bear that struggles to survive in the elements? Does their “cuteness” seed a disconnect from our real environment that is carried into adult-hood when confronted with the real?