Subverting the Sunset: Inside My Mixed-Media & Photographic World…

My work lives at the intersection of fine art photography, mixed-media sculpture staged still-life setups. I am fundamentally curious with the mythology surrounding the American West,  not as a dusty history book, but as an ongoing, living mythos that we are constantly rewriting. Instead of leaning into traditional, sepia-toned nostalgia, I use high-contrast color palettes, pop-art sensibilities, and unexpected props to turn those icons on their head. It is a playful, subversive approach to traditional notions of masculinity and Western iconography. I want my images to look slick and accessible at first glance, but leave you questioning the cultural machinery underneath.

One morning, while taking the trash can to the curb, I noticed a vibrant sunrise that mirrored the qualities of a sunset. I quickly grabbed my camera and captured the scene from my backyard. After printing the photo, I mounted it on foam core to use as a backdrop inside my lightbox. Playing with the subversive concept of using a sunrise to portray a sunset, and a pink toy to stand in for a human, I experimented with lighting, aperture, and lens types. Finally, I captured a series of digital images, editing them until the composition, color, and scale matched my initial sketch.