Achilles and Patroclus 1899

Achilles and Patroclus 1899 - Exterior Elevation- Series: History Hates Lovers

18x24 Lithograph, Photolithograph, ProntoPlate Lithograph on Sekishu paper - Printed Both Sides

Achilles and Patroclus 1899 - Interior Elevation

From my perspective, these exterior elevator doors don't move. It's a nod to how life's moments are set, unchangeable. But the interior doors, the ones that are constantly in motion, are represented by the fleeting motion within my work. They capture the shifting perceptions and understanding that I only gain by looking back. This is my way of grappling with the idea that while we must live life forward, its true transparency is often only revealed in hindsight.

This series is a sustained exploration of historical and mythical narratives through a my ideological and social conceptualizations… (That’s a lot of art speak for I think this is cool and I care about it.)

The lithographs Gate Primus and Gate Secundus are my approach at engaging directly with Étienne-Louis Boullée's unbuilt Cenotaph for Newton & The Architecture of the Enlightenment directly in relation to parametric and algorithmic design modes. In Gate Primus, I give tangible form to the monument's grand design through Pronto Plate lithography & Plotted pen drawings, transforming a historical, theoretical concept into a physical object. Gate Secundus then builds on this by focusing on the inverse and mirrored form of the cenotaph, exploring the idea of absence and reflection, a gesture that brings to light the unseen and hidden aspects of a story.

This methodology extends to my love of the tale of Achilles & Patroclus. I use my lithographic process to re-contextualize architecture and graphic collage into a multilayered object, this work reclaims the queer epic by centering the profound romantic bond between Achilles and Patroclus (AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES). It mirrors the artistic collectives of the Arts & Crafts era, where notable figures like Charles Robert Ashbee and Oscar Wilde created spaces for love and community outside of rigid social norms. Through this approach, my art, both visual and literary, seeks to make the ancient past feel present and to give form and voice to the narratives and desires that have long been subtextual or unseen.