Portrait nominee

Self- Portrait in conversation with Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi (Latin for 'Savior of the World')

I have always been intrigued by da Vinci's 'Salvator Mundi' painting and the history behind the work. This particular painting is surrounded by narratives about attribution, the provenance of artwork, and how those two elements can effect the value of a particular artwork. Following a record setting 2017 sale at Christie's, the work entered the lexicon of popular culture, becoming somewhat an internet sensation and mysterious work that led to numerous sarcastic memes and humorous jokes, something da Vinci never could have predicted at the time of the piece's completion. Having this conversation between an old world painting and a contemporary photograph makes us think about what makes an artwork what it is and how contemporary works can often trace their strengths back to original art masters.

Working as a professional photographer for over 18 years, the strength of my work lies in the combining of fine art and commercial photography background. I earned my first bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from Ball State University in 2007, going on to attend Art Center College of Design, earning a second bachelor’s degree while enhancing my skills as a working photographer. It was during this time where I was really able to improve my technical skills, allowing me to better use visual language to express my artistic ideas. My work has received honorable mentions in the International Photography Awards numerous times, has been selected by Jurors all over the world to be part of fine art photographic exhibits, and could be seen in Lenscratch's 2021 juried still life exhibition. My hope is to capture a viewer's attention with unique and bold imagery and get them to take a deeper look.