Growing up between cultures makes me part of a unique tribe. I was raised in El Paso, Texas, a city on the border with Mexico. Mirroring the physical surroundings was a family life that was diverse and complex. I lived in a large apartment house with blood relatives occupying many of the apartments and surrogate relatives occupying what was left. There was always something brewing – a suicide attempt, a baby being born, young couples starting out, neighbors caring for old people, domestic disputes. I learned about death and mental illness – and kindness and tolerance and community. I often work in a way that mimics the way I assembled all those little parts into the larger whole of my personality.

I've been out of the studio for 2 years and only recently had any desire to work. I'm a licensed EMT now and my attention has turned to more physical concerns. The series, Where is it safe to touch me? started as the result of two people close to me being diagnosed with cancer  - a close friend with breast cancer and my father with lung cancer. I watched them both as they guarded their bodies - one wanting to be held and the other not wanting to be touched. My thinking turned toward the issues of emotional proximity, isolation, sexual tension and proximity from a cultural standpoint. All of that being said, I'm going to pick up where I left off - with the physical. Here goes.