Inverted Americana

Oil and acrylic on wood panel, 10 in x 10 in, 2025

This piece is representative of the cultures that inhabit the spirit of America. When I think of American culture, I think of something melancholy and severe. I am one that believes that this land is built off of the suffering of many. Being an American myself, I feel torn with the culture that I am presented and told to be proud of. This print was one that allowed me to explore the cultures that I find within this land, particularly the Midwest, alongside the dark truths that permeate the soil. The main figure, the Jackalope, is a distinctly American cryptid that represents the strangeness of Appalachia (and the U.S. as a whole). I utilized the wild nature of the Jackalope to represent the wild heart of the wilderness within this country. It is something that cannot be captured simply, and when you believe you have it, it doesn’t seem real. The surrounding border uses symbols that are traditionally found within New England grave symbolism, something that I am fascinated in and that I hold near and dear to my heart and artistic style. Puritan bodies were typically buried West to East, which I inverted. As the sun rises in the East, I gave that side the aspect of life, and West the aspect of death. To touch on the concept of craft, I included an “Ohio star”, a popular quilt design associated with rural coziness and handiwork. There are also floral aspects within this piece that have meaning, as I believe that every aspect of my work should have a purpose. There are honeysuckle flowers, as well as Queen Anne’s Lace and it’s poisonous twin Water Hemlock.