I’m an artist and writer with a particular interest in the connection between nature and human culture. I hold a BA from Yale University, where I studied art history and studio art, and an MPhil from Trinity College Dublin. As assistant curator at the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, I have written about the art and life of the Alberses and the dissemination of their ideas in both text and image.
In my studio practice, I’ve drawn more than 1,200 species of animals, from hundreds of birds misquoting hip-hop lyrics to the birds of North Africa speaking French and English, to the documentation of hedgehogs in unexpected circumstances. These large series of small drawings are a natural history experiment and homage to the life around us. They consider the ways in which language and architecture bridge human culture and the natural world. More recently, I’ve been interested in how nature and its patterns influence and intercept daily life.
My drawings and installations have been shown in solo shows in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Paris, and featured in publications such as Cabinet, Lucky Peach, McSweeney's, and The Awl. My book collaborations include Of Lamb and Fungipedia.
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Photo: Jessica Smolinski