Statement

Patterns and rhythms fascinate me. Long attracted to visual patterns – from wallpaper and fabrics to natural forms created by erosion to rhythms that follow the sun and moon – in this work I turned toward the social construction of romance.

I am struck by the unmistakable patterns in relationships initiated online. As a recent participant, I observed systems of messaging, meeting, calling, kissing, and breaking up – and it became clear that the media has affected the way I view my personal relationships. I created an archive of my experiences, and organized it into a flow chart. By abstracting my personal life, I saw the intersection of my experience, my own rules for dating, and the influence of the media. I became eerily able to predict the future of my online relationships.

As I looked more closely into the differences between dating in real life and dating in pop culture, I began to analyze and chart other systems and patterns – in romantic comedy films and in the lives of women artists. I juxtaposed romantic comedies based upon common tropes, which allowed me to see their influence upon my expectations for a relationship – without the distraction of individual scenes between actors pretending to be in love. Looking to determine whether marriage would affect my career, I began to analyze the lives of other women artists. Though I could determine a few generalities, ultimately the patterns in women's lives broke down and my expectations were confounded. Using these charts to anticipate my own life patterns, I am assured that my success as an artist and happiness as a romantic partner are not predictable.