Education:

Courses Taught:

• Design I: 2D Design
• Design II: 3D Design
• Basic Digital Art Media
• Special topic courses such as EcoArt and EcoVention

Statement:

In his introduction for "Micrographia, or Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies Made by Magnifying Glasses with Observations and Inquires Thereupon" (1665), Robert Hooke advocates the scientific pursuit to his readers. He notes, " ... so treat is the fascination of finding out new things, that I dare compare the contentment which they will enjoy not only to that of contemplation, but even to that which most men prefer of the very senses themselves. ...I do not only propose this kind of experimental philosophy as a matter of high rapture and delight of the mind, but even as a material and sensible pleasure". Hooke gained attention for the writings and drawings he produced as curator of experiments for the Royal Society of London and he is credited with popularizing the
microscope as a research instrument in 17th century England.

Hooke's enthusiasm may seem excessive in cynical times. Yet, the excitement he expresses in observing recording and analyzing nature reflects a universal human impulse. My own affinity for the fine arts is fused with an interest in collecting and visualizing nature. It can be traced back to childhood visits to the American Museum of Natural History in New York, the impulse to recreate those collections at home by gathering 'specimens' (pressed plants, shells, insects). My decision to pursue art professionally was finally made in a high school biology lab looking through a microscope.

My recent shows have considered the lack of direct contact most of us have with the natural environment. Nature is increasingly only encountered through secondary sources. Very little experience comes from direct observation. Instead, we are voyeurs through the TV lens of the nature cable stations, the Internet, museums, zoos, and even our home decoration. Most of what is learned about the natural world is processed and transformed into something that can be purchased and consumed. I am particularly interested in how we encounter and define nature (and ourselves) through these second-hand, post-natural experiences.

Niche: Nature Morte in the Simulated Garden
The Commons at Spooner Hall
University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
http://www.thecommons.ku.edu/photogallery.html
www.nhm.ku.edu/Hdocs/Niche2.html

Wonderland
Catherine G. Murphy Gallery
College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, Minnesota
www.stkate.edu/gallery/shows_06_wonderland/index.html

Diagnostik
University of Iowa Medical Museum
Iowa City, Iowa
www.uihealthcare.com/depts/medmuseum/galleryexhibits/diagnostik/index.html