I aspire to be a visual commentator on the unique culture found in the Southern United States. Having been born and raised in the dirty south I am very conscious and aware of my Southern roots. I see my work as a reinvention of my southern identity and an attempt to critique and praise this unique and historic geographic region. The majority of the work operates in response to my nickname, Venom. Much like a truck driver’s handle, Venom functions as an identity or brand in the form of flags, banners and tobacco products.
Southern politics, racing, and heavy metal all play a vital role in this ongoing body of work. Cultural icons from rural America’s lowbrow aesthetic are borrowed and re-formatted. The number 1987 (or 87) works asa historical signifier for the heydays of Heavy Metal as well as Venom’s racing number. The Venom Dip series simultaneously promote and mock issues associated with aspects of the rural and southern states. While the hand stitched flags and banners reference issues of strife and rebellion in response to the Civil War or commonly labeled War of Northern Aggression.