I think the purpose of art is wrapped up in human connection. Making art is what makes the artist human. The artist expresses themself in some medium, being true to who they are. They expose something of themself, a personal view, an exhilaration, or a rant.

Underlying it all is an urge to communicate, a desire to connect and be understood. The hope of the artist is that the viewer will say, “yes, I see what you see.”

I believe the audience that craves human connection exists in abundance. I see it in myself. When I go to galleries, there are certain art pieces where I say, wow, I like what I see. So much so that I think, I’d like to meet this artist. We must have something in common.

But I think what often gets in the way is the push toward commercialization. Artists fall into the trap of trying to make something that sells, instead of being true and honest. Instead of creating something that flirts. Instead of something that says, you and I are more similar than you think we are.

When someone in the audience hungry for the human side of art stumbles upon something that I create, I want them to feel seen. As much as I want to be seen in what I communicate via my art, I want them to feel seen too. I want them to feel the connection and know that connection is possible, especially in this day and age where you can connect directly with artists via social media.