"Reedy River: Shelving Greenville's History"

Over the past several hundred years, the Reedy River has served to shape the physical, economic and cultural growth of an area formerly known as the "Great Plains." In its history, the river has supported settlements, fostered Greenville's earliest economic development, and, by the late 1960s,  evidenced decades of  chemical waste and abuse.  Although the abuse has disappeared, a concern for the integrity of the river in these times of escalating redevelopment prompts my most recent work, "Reedy River:  Shelving Greenville's History." With the help of displaced mill workers,  I have transformed  low resolution wireless phone  and public domain images into seemingly high-end commercial objects.  Displayed on a burned and broken floorboard from the F.W. Poe Mill, these objects feature photographs that I created using images that have been emailed, downloaded, manipulated and archivally printed on South Carolina mill cloth.  Although the form of my work continues to change, I remain committed to creating work that examines the relationship between values and valuation in our society.

"Shams of Comfort"

In ancient Roman culture, mosaics depicting exotic fruits and vegetables were created as a sign of wealth and standing. Although the form has changed over nineteen centuries, our American culture continues that tradition.  Instead of mosaics, we have created the cult of the object: plum tomatoes from San Marzano, Italy; camera cell phones from Tokyo, Japan; and cloth from Ghana, Africa. To display our superiority, education and wealth,  we have become consummate consumers. Artifacts, foods, beliefs, resources, traditions, and even talents are all fair game. We demand and acquire just about anything from anywhere. Thus, our own culture disappears. My most recent works, "Shams of Comfort," are being created in reaction to the Iran/Iraq War and serve as an epithet of American values and culture.  With the help of displaced mill workers,  I have transformed  low resolution wireless phone images into seemingly high-end commercial objects.  Displayed on mass-produced Ikea chairs, these shams feature photographs that I created using images that have been emailed, downloaded, manipulated and archivally printed on South Carolina mill cloth.