The process and form of the work are meant to be democratic, collaborative, and accessible—allowing the artist and participants to work together in exploring the significance of personal and public identity as the two occupy the same pictorial space.
Inspired by currency and flags, AIB features symbols that hold personal significance to their respective contributors represent them in the picture-plane like avatars in a profile. The icons are then superimposed over photographed landscapes with varying layers of opacity and transparency. Each symbol acts like an icon, connecting person and place, and creating a type of bond we often feel, but cannot see. The combination is intended to symbolically break down any perceived artist/viewer hierarchy and allude to a sense of equity within each composition.
The process for these works involves several steps or phases. Viewers are invited to submit an emblem of sorts, which represent the individual and amplify their prominence. The symbols are drawn out, carved into wood, and utilized as relief printmaking blocks. The blocks are then printed onto the landscape photographs, leaving literal impressions on each scene. The result is a unique impression where artist serves as an advocate to region and its people. Once the process is complete, the relief blocks are catalogued and placed into a larger inventory known as the American Imagery Bank.
