The simple act of cutting paper is a study in transformation. It reduces visual information down to the essentials-the idea that an outline alone can carry meaning and narrative. There is an incredible tension in this practice. A single mistake can compromise the entire architecture of a piece.

I turned to the simplicity and economy of this medium during an artist residency at the Madre de Dios Biological Research Station located in the Amazon. All materials worked with had to be packed in and out of the station with me. Nothing could be toxic or detrimental in any way to the environment.

The subject of my work contains variations on the theme of ecotone, the area where two communities meet and integrate. Traditionally, the term refers to ecological communities, such as the zone where the plains and desert meet the rainforest and the biodiversity that occurs there. Yet it can also refer the zone where “nature” and “culture” intersect—where city meets the preexisting natural environment and the tension resulting from this intersection. It may also refer to a metaphorical overlapping of narrative and place.

The stark contrast of cut paper is reflective of the investigation of physical, ecological and cultural boundaries. The stories and fables I select are narratives that ultimately attempt to destabilize the modern notion of an unbridgeable boundary between ‘human’ and ‘animal’. I continue to investigate and describe the conflict between human and animal, hoping to reveal what animals teach us about our humanity.

Review in the Lincoln Journal Star