I have always been a lover of discarded objects. The gloves are a window into a feminine existence that has been thrown away. Once a staple in every "good" woman's wardrobe now found in twisted bunches at the bottom of a thrift store bins. I found the quality of the leather, the delicate construction of the fingers to indicate a glamor I had never known. They represented a kind of formality that was all about control of sexual desires- after all gloves were for modesty, they kept you from having a sensual contact with your hands- they somehow kept you "clean".

In contrast the traditional American tattoo is a symbol of masculine adventure, rebellion and sexual exploits. At the same time gloves were a staple of "good" American women, tattoos were only for sailors bikers and criminals. No proper woman also had tattoos- especially not on her hands! When I looked at the traditional tattoo iconography from the early part of the century I found that it was made up of symbols that expressed basic human feelings. A rose for love, a clipper ship for safe journey or to represent the ups and downs of life's journey, a dagger for pain, a heart and banner for the love of mom, a jaguar to posses its animal prowess, the eagle for patriotism, the pin-up for desire etc.

I hand paint tattoo designs inspired by these traditional images but informed by the personal. I twist the pin-up into a animal headed goddess where her dark desires, anger and lust are part of her attributes. She is no longer a sweet hot thing- but a witch or whore. I paint traditional sailors as fey, faggots and sexually ambiguous heros. I leave in words such as "your name here" on banners that suggest a heart with a revolving door. I imagine that each pair of gloves is a lady- a lady that was not a traditional woman but in her time may have had to play a particular role to survive. I seek to paint the truth of feminine existence that lays beneath the fashion or constructs of society to balance and heal what often is hidden.