La Mode Pratique Series (001). What Dresses Me Undresses Me

Watercolor & Pencil on Paper 30” x 44” 

Digital Photo on Dibond 15’’ x 11’’

2020

The ornamentation on the skirt of the dress worn by a young Seminole woman is based on a surreal viral image of an alligator that has found its way into a private pool, where it floats on an inflatable raft in the form of its own likeness—evidence of wildlife displacement resulting from South Florida’s shrinking natural habitat. The displeasure on the woman’s face hints at her own displacement.

The ancestors of the Seminole Tribe of Florida were the first humans to inhabit the Everglades. The Seminole’s relationship to nature is different. They are taught that they are related to the environment around them and believe that everything—plants, animals, humans, trees, birds, insects—has its purpose in life.