adrift is a contemplation of the North American landscape through the lens of a transient lifestyle, focusing on the need to escape mainstream society by means of a perpetual drift. This nomadic mode of living makes visible an alternative lived experience within the Western landscape and considers what transpires when someone walks away from the recognized order. Seen through a threshold or portal, the landscapes of this imagined story mimic an unending search for personal liberation amongst the deserts and blue skies of the American West. The paintings shift in language from abstract patterning which betrays a deep idealism to illustrative realism bringing focus to a moment. The mixed media nature of the work causes an internal questioning of authenticity; we begin to wonder what is real. There is an absence of action as the viewer becomes the protagonist in a cyclical state of contemplation. The installation reframes the romanticized notions of life on the road, offering a candid elucidation of the hardships, monotony, and pleasure of nomadism. The work has developed as a hybrid painting practice that combines elements of collage, video art, painting, and sculpture. This multidisciplinary approach to making uses car parts and other components connected to the vernacular of van culture including tarps, old plywood, found car doors and empty beer bottles. These materials reflect my own working-class background while simultaneously questioning the hierarchy of more traditional art materials. The installation mimics the spatial characteristics of the vehicle and to engage with the work the viewer must move around the structure. The exterior of the installation focuses on the west as a space in dispute, where politics, the environment, and history are still being contested. The joy of the work is when you realize you can walk into the van. The interior is a gathering space with more meditative paintings, a library, and bench seating. The viewer is invited to spend time with the work, perusing the books in an environment where touch is encouraged. The inside of the van offers a space for conversation and a moment of respite in the gallery space, where relaxation is hardly ever encouraged. This is a body of work balances a love of the western environment while keeping a critical lens focused on a history of brutal colonization and failed environmental stewardship.