The question is can we live together?ġ992 B.A., Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design, Denver, ColoradoĢ007-2011 Art Students League of Denver, Denver, Colorado My painting practice focuses on a narrative that is interactive in a way that singles out the sitter and draws curiosity. I believe if I paint an interaction of unusual encounters people will become familiar with those interactions and possibly change the norm-much like the lone black figure in classical paintings that people tend to overlook. I capture the energy and emotion of my subject matter. I focus on portraits placed in an environment where people are doing what comes naturally to them. I feel too much negativity gets out into the world. My paintings largely reflect what I see in my community on a positive level. Will urban life now be considered a luxury for elites only, or can the city become an intersection where diverse groups learn to come together, and can thrive together? As I observe these interactions, I capture what is important to me: unity. The gentrification in my neighborhood has forced me to confront its negative effects, such as the displacement of whole communities of long-time residents. As a black woman artist, the black narrative has been the focus of my paintings, but I can’t overlook new cultural interactions at play in the community around me. My paintings depict day-to-day life in the city, while exploring how each person’s identity influences how they see the humanity and value of people outside their group. Neighborhoods that once were the keepers of the culture are experiencing a takeover, radically shifting from one culture to another and along with socioeconomic displacement the inner city looks more mixed than ever before. Gentrification has now become a national thing. My neighborhood is currently undergoing a process of gentrification. Watching the ways that people react and relate to one another, both good and bad, has long been a curiosity of mine and that has inspired my current painting series, documenting the life and spirit of urban people. Throughout my life, I have been a constant observer of the interactions between different sorts of people. I grew up in Park Hill, one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city of Denver.
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