This body of work is a way of telling stories about an aspect of the culture in which I live. In our culture, people construct personal systems of beliefs that dictate the way that they live their lives and how they respond to others around them. These systems are constructed around abstract spirituality based on centuries of ever-evolving manuscripts and then completed by the personal faith of the individual. To validate this faith, many look for an external sign to corroborate their beliefs, and these signs can take the form of miracles, apparitions, and relics. Miracles and apparitions are usually supernatural visions or paranormal events perceived by the individual, while a relic is a physical remain of a saint or holy person with spiritual significance attached to it. Relics can also be used to invoke blessings or be called upon to perform miraculous events. Many would discredit these occurrences, yet many also seek them out as a part of their devotion. My role as an artist is to collect these events and objects that could be used to validate certain belief systems, such as the potato manifestation or an apparition of the Virgin Mary on a rose petal, and then to examine and catalog these phenomena as photographic documents. All of these photographs have their genesis in either oral or textual narrative and are presented through photographs to examine the nature of the photographic document and the relationship of photography to both objective and subjective truth.
This visual project is neither an affirmation nor a denial of my personal beliefs; it is rather an examination of the influences that have touched my life during the various stages of my development, continuing through the present day. This reconstruction of found narratives creates a space in which to examine my perceptions of them as well as their underlying connection to western culture.