Somewhere in Between began with a query from a person attending one of my artist lectures. The question was why human presence was only indicated or implied in my past work but the figure was never actually present. Indeed, the absence of the human figure had prominently underscored much of my past work, often denoted by figure-like forms and intimate, vernacular objects implying a certain ubiquity. Another prominent element was the empty bed, referencing transformation, absence, and loss. In this suite started in 2009, the human figure finally appears along with the bed, creating a sense of retreat or sanctuary. Tousled or shrouded in a landscape of linens, the images invite viewers to immerse themselves in a topography of emotion—love, elation, loss, absence, death, or life, depending on the moment. Through the restful, or restless, vulnerability of the body, we are grounded in the reality of such visceral moments. I again sidestepped personal narrative through androgyny and removal of identifying features.
An accompanying piece to Somewhere in Between is Grief, an installation and participatory piece using screen-printed text on handkerchiefs suggesting to the viewer, as the title implies, to take a moment to share the experience. If so inclined, people were moved to take a hanky home while others carried them through the gallery and returned the handkerchief before they departed, leaving the scent of their cologne or adding wrinkles from clutching them, implying their use and intimate proximity, fitting for the content.