The Second Narrator Artist Statement

I was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in 2022, but I first heard the Second Narrator speak to me decades before. Since being diagnosed with OCD, my photographic work has pivoted to an investigation of my own intrusive thoughts. What often feels like an omnipresent being who whispers fortune-telling truths in my ear is, in actuality, only a brain filtration issue. My brain lacks the ability to differentiate necessary and unnecessary fearful thoughts so I am left with an abundance of alternate endings to sift through every day. Wake, sift, and repeat until sleep graces me.

This secondary voice in my head I’ve dubbed “the Second Narrator.” She is loud, aggressive, and incredibly afraid. Through my photographic practice I sit in conversation with her about the narratives she creates daily. I then replicate these intrusive thoughts with set design, costumes, models, and film cameras to keep the work grounded in the analog. My photographs sit at the intersection of fiction and reality while continuing to allow fluidity between the two. 

After learning the intricacies of custom fine-art framing through my job, my aspirations for each piece have come to include the entire presentation thereof. The Second Narrator is showcased in a tactile manner in hopes of offloading some of my regular intrusions onto the viewers using framing as a means of narrative expansion. 

I often wonder if the viewer feels better when they walk away, or if the thought will follow them home as well. All I ask is that the viewer trusts me and not the Second Narrator, no matter how convincing she may be.

"The Second Narrator" was on display with Eye Lounge Artist Collective at Modified Arts in Downtown Phoenix from January 15th through February 15th, 2026, as a part of the duo show "INVASIVE SPECIES."