Butterflies

Since 2018 I have been making works on paper with gouache and other media. The imagery and process are an extension of my experience coping with cancer treatment from 2015-2018. The butterfly is metaphorical for the thyroid gland from which my cancer emerged as they have a similar shape. The paintings are perforated by hand with a needle from the opposing side, giving the works a subtle relief. The use of perforation has been part of my process for many years, but it took on new meaning following the biopsies and blood draws I underwent routinely. The lurid colors, meanwhile, reflect the unnatural experience of radioactive treatment and the synthetic hormones on which I continue to rely.

all works gouache on watercolor paper, hand perforated, 2020-2023. dimensions variable.