Unnatural History

This series of portraits began as a flash of inspiration in late 2009 when I found a set of old daguerreotypes. The scratches and watermarks in the images added texture and in some cases obscured the people in them almost entirely, begging me to imagine strange creatures hiding behind the dust. One portrait in particular was missing his head while his suit of clothing remained almost untouched. I realized that I could imagine him into whatever creature I liked, a cat maybe or a kangaroo. That moment of inspiration grew and very quickly I had a whole collection of characters. They are limited edition digital prints on transparency sandwiched between an aluminum plate and a sheet of mica. The prints are set in hand detailed 4.5” by 5” mattes and custom frames.

This series is an exploration of captured moments. The shadow boxes take you into the middle of a story that has already begun and will end after you look away. What the story is you will have to imagine for yourself.

I have been making dolls since early childhood. The images on these pages show work from 1999 through the present and are in roughly chronological order with the oldest first. The materials used range widely and include: porcelain, epoxy putty, fabric, found objects, fur and feathers.

photos from ACT Theatre's 2010 production of The Lieutenant of Inishmore.

Photos from ACT Theatre's 2010 production of The Lady With All the Answers.

Photos from ACT Theatre's 2010 production of Yankee Tavern

photos from ACT Theatre's 2010 production of Female of the Species.

These photos are from Act Theatre's 2010 production of The Trip to Bountiful.

This is a selection of photos from my work at ACT Theatre from May 2008 through September 2009