From Art Series: Consumed, resin and mixed media on wood panel (2011)

Consumed is a subject very near and not so dear to my heart. In fact it concerns me a great deal that I am ‘consumed’ by consumerism. I have a weakness for a slick stylized marketing campaign and the must-have product attached to it. If that was the sum of my affliction I might not be so concerned about this obsession. However it goes a little deeper than that. This series is about the internal struggle.

I long for and desperately search for simplicity that rejecting consumerism could provide – however I’m consumed by the seduction, attention, anticipation, the curiosity, resignation, the push, the rush, and the leisure associated with consumerism – the result of our ever-accelerating lifestyle.

In creating the series I wanted to create a feeling of a ‘packaged’ good. The artwork and subsequent message had to be contained in a slick and seductive clear coating to hold the consumer’s attention long enough to deliver the message. I further explored this idea by adding a foil ribbon to create a shrink-wrapped look and feel. This series is far from complete. I plan on further exploring and studying the subject and how it relates to my experiences; you could say I’m too consumed to let it go.