Artist Statement:

"Awesome!" "Watch out!" "Aim higher!" "Woo-hoo!" "Not so close!" "What the hell?"

We live in a world of constant explosions—of strong opinions, biases, fears, and energy. In this chaos, nothing feels entirely safe, yet there is an undeniable human allure in unpredictability.

We stand tightly packed, surrounded by unpredictable fireworks erupting in every direction. Each year in America, over 300 million pounds of fireworks are set off, with 90% ignited by amateurs—that's about one pound per person in the U.S. The chaos is both dangerous and exciting. These asymmetrical amateur explosions create a seductive, beautiful, and ephemeral mix of color, light, and energy. Some of the "exciting ones" are poorly aimed; others explode prematurely, but all illuminate the people and land below.

In this series, the colors in these images are inverted like a film camera’s color negatives. Vibrant hues transform into soft pastels, and once-familiar shapes resemble ink stains. They take on the appearance of inkblot patterns used in Rorschach tests, designed to reveal subconscious thoughts and emotions through the interpretation of ambiguous images.

Do these color-negative images of explosions serve as a Rorschach test for our times?
What do they reveal about the human impulse to find meaning in the ephemeral?
Are these explosions symbols of destruction or bursts of possibility?
In these divisive times, what do these images reveal about your perceptions, fears, and hopes?