This past Summer, I had the privilege of sharing my art books at the Palm Springs Art Museum as part of their Reading Wall—An exhibition of zines and self-published books made by artists. The exhibition coincided with a major presentation of works by Andy Warhol and focused heavily on makers from or connected to Southern California.
Three of my publications were exhibited—A book on salvation mountain, Los Angeles Mythology, Vol. 2 and Chasing After Kandinsky—were featured in the exhibition and subsequently added to the Joshua Tree Zine Collection. I also had the excitement of being part of the zine micro fest held at the museum with tables for selling my work.
This exciting opportunity was a strong reminder of the importance of making work that responds to the communities you are a part of. Most of this work was made or originated during my time in Los Angeles, studying at Otis College of Art & Design, while I was attempting to understand and figure out what made Los Angeles and its surrounding areas tick. I ended up following my curiosity and simply making in response to the things that caught my attention and provoked though. The works were made without a specified goal, purpose or aim other than to point my finger at things that seemed important. This process has richly rewarded me and I plan to continue it now that I have moved to Portland, OR.
