Artist Statement

The Keep Series is comprised of 54 letterpressed posters of two-word phrases. These posters have one objective: provide people with hope and motivation. I started developing this body of work in early 2020 when the covid-19 pandemic started to greatly affect the United States. Like so many people during this time, I ended up losing my full-time job and days started to look grim. When facing a roller coaster of thoughts and emotions surrounding the state of the world, I often returned to the phrase, “keep making.” Keep making has become a personal mantra that reminds me of what gives me happiness; the act of making, creating. I thought back to my childhood when spare time involved constructing with cardboard and using spray paint to make something “my own”. Making was the thing that allowed me to put my stress aside in 2020. Recognizing how this benefitted me, I started to wonder if other people had their own “keep phrases.” As I worked on this series the past couple years, some posters were influenced by current events of the moment. Keep Fightin’, was printed to acknowledge the murder of George Floyd, the hurt caused by police brutality, and the devotion to invoke change through peaceful protest. Keep Votin’, was printed during the 2020 Presidential Election to encourage fellow Americans to use their voice and vote.

The format of this series is simple; two-word phrases accompanied by a pointing hand signaling towards a better future. The only elements that change throughout the series are the second word within the phrase and the colors in which the visual elements are printed. The different words and colors demonstrate that even differing compositions provide a cohesive look amongst the entire series. This acknowledges how even if there are two people that favor different posters, they are still connected as the collective whole. Just because we may not follow the same ideologies does not mean there is no human connection between us all.

This series wants individuals to find encouragement but also to acknowledge the connection with neighbors. Take time to find what phrase resonates with you and then take a moment to understand why someone else chose the phrase that they did. Enjoy the moment to pause and focus on yourself and others. Keep findin’, keep bein’, keep goin’, keep becomin’.