Coping Mechanism I (2021) ceramic tile, glaze, and thin-set mortar mounted on television

I turn to nostalgia in my work because I find myself looking back on my childhood to answer difficult questions about my identity. TV and narrative have always been a comfort for me, the ability to be able to escape for a single moment and worry about the life of someone who does not exist felt easier than worrying about myself. The desire for characters to be depicted idyllically in popular culture has always been an idea worth exploring, for why do they need to reflect honest life at all? As they say, we all have our vices, and this one is mine.