Series
Stories We Tell Ourselves
2023 · 4 works
What I wrote at the time
In my series "Stories We Tell Ourselves," I explore the intersection of fiction and reality through the lens of science fiction. Specifically, I delve into the fictional cultures depicted in these stories, using small paintings as studies for larger works. The allure of fictional cultures within the science fiction genre lies in their ability to simultaneously captivate and challenge our understanding of the world. These cultures, seemingly paradoxical within the realm of fiction, often mirror aspects of our own history and societal dynamics. I am particularly drawn to these fictional cultures because they serve as a reflection of our human need to construct narratives, even in realms where imagination knows no bounds. Despite their fantastical nature, these cultures offer insights into our past, present, and future, illuminating the complexities of human existence. Through my artwork, I aim to explore how these fictional cultures not only entertain but also serve as a means of introspection and reflection. By examining the narratives woven within these stories, I seek to uncover the underlying truths about our society and the roles we play within it. Ultimately, "Stories We Tell Ourselves" is an exploration of the intertwined relationship between fiction and reality and the profound impact that storytelling has on our understanding of the world and ourselves. Through my paintings, I invite viewers to contemplate the parallels between the fictional worlds we create and the truths they reveal about the human experience.
My series of small paintings, created as studies for larger works within the series "Stories We Tell Ourselves," explores the narratives found within the fictional cultures of science fiction stories. These paintings delve into the intricate tapestry of imagined worlds and societies, each canvas a window into the collective imagination of humanity. Fictional cultures within the science fiction genre often seem paradoxical, existing in realms of pure imagination yet mirroring aspects of our reality. It is this juxtaposition that fascinates me: the convergence of the fantastical and the familiar, the otherworldly and the eerily relatable. Within these stories lie echoes of our history, societal constructs, and existential quandaries. As an artist, I am drawn to the notion that even within the realm of fiction, there exists a profound need to construct narratives that give meaning to our present and future. The fictional cultures depicted in my paintings serve as reflections of our collective psyche, exploring themes of identity, power dynamics, and the human condition. Through meticulous brushstrokes and careful composition, each painting in this series seeks to capture the essence of these fictional worlds. Whether it be the bustling metropolis of a distant planet, the serene landscapes of an alien civilization, or the intricate social hierarchies of an advanced society, each scene is imbued with a sense of depth and complexity. Ultimately, "Stories We Tell Ourselves" is an exploration of the human impulse to create stories, to weave narratives that transcend the boundaries of reality and offer insights into our existence. By delving into the rich tapestry of science fiction cultures, I invite viewers to contemplate the role of storytelling in shaping our perceptions of the world and our place within it. These paintings serve as portals to worlds both fantastical and familiar, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the timeless allure of storytelling.
Angel Axioma, 2024.
Reading it again, 2026
Science fiction's central figure is not the spaceship or the robot. It is the alien, and the alien is never really about the other. It is a structure a culture builds to examine itself: its fears about contact and difference, its assumptions about intelligence and consciousness, its need to organize the world into those who belong and those who do not. Stories We Tell Ourselves is a series of oil paintings that take that mirror seriously, then ask what happens when you turn it around.
Each painting begins with a fictional culture and asks a single question: what would this culture consider sacred? What would it place at the center of its cosmology? This is not illustration. It is speculative anthropology directed at invented worlds, because invented worlds are the clearest records we have of what their inventors actually believe about the real one.
The first problem the series confronts is flatness. Alien cultures in science fiction are routinely rendered as backdrop or spectacle rather than as full systems with their own economies and sacred objects. These paintings work against that flattening, imagining the Bantha as Tusken Raider deity, the Fremen still suit as ritual garment, the Arrakeen meal as sacred act in a world where every molecule of water carries theological weight.
The series arrives, finally, at the question underneath all the others: whether consciousness itself is alien to the physical world it thinks it inhabits. Everything we perceive is processed and reconstructed by neural architecture before it reaches awareness. We do not experience the world. We experience a model of it, generated inside a skull. The perspectival box was always there.
The alien is not an external category. It is the structural condition of consciousness.
