Human Imprint

Much of my work has explored nostalgia, American expectations of “womanhood”, and the utilization of objects/materials to elicit feelings of longing or familiarity. This approach has extended to the “Human Imprint” project through research and visits to historic town sites and mining operations in Colorado, most of which are 100-150 years old. I am not interested in the “gold rush” aspect of these sites, but am compelled by the human imprint that remains there – the evidence of ingenuity, curious artifacts, skeletons of architectural structures and evidence of the hand. This lineage of the handmade is exciting to me as an artist and maker, exploring the histories of these sites and the people who inhabited them through printmaking processes, sculptures, photographs and repurposed found objects.

 Of particular interest are the gloves, shoe soles, and delicate pieces of painted china and mother-of-pearl buttons which evidence the presence of women whose stories I hoped to reveal in this project. My hope is this work is a prime vehicle to start conversations around the challenges of preservation, the relevance of local history, and the roles of women at a pivotal time in the American West.