As an artist I am researching and developing mythic historical misinterpretations and manipulations in an effort to expose the malleability of our past, present and future.
My alternate history and mythology preserve memories of childhood by reimagining objects and imagery from my youth as iconic ancient artifacts. I created the fictitious Texas based Aurora – Rhoman civilization inspired by the achievements of major historical figures. Having studied history and worked as an archaeologist on many actual excavations, I conduct staged excavations around the world, working with the community as a performance. My constructed artifacts of the invented civilization mix fact and fiction to appropriate and distort the history and myths of each region I engage. The actual and fake objects “found” during these digs have been exhibited in Spain, Germany, Russia, Croatia, Egypt, Italy, China, Belgium and the US, among others.
My faux research institute, The Aurora-Rhoman Institute of Archaeology and Cultural Relics, examines the evidence of my ancient civilization at locations around the world. Inspired by amateur archeologists such as Heinrich Schliemann who discovered Troy and by past elaborate hoaxes like that of the Piltdown Man, I use my “discoveries” to manipulate and verify my invented civilization. The archaeological performance and installation begin with extensive historical research and end in an exhibit. The discoveries and claims are false and absurdly comical but based on real research.
