I use stereotypical images of America to explore our past and present perceptions of ourselves and others, as well as our social identity. Just as our minds retain layers of ideas, feelings, and images—however vague or distorted—my paintings, whether imagistic or abstract, are textural, built up in layers over time. The superimposition of appropriated images, collage, words, and paint creates a surface that reveals the memory of preexisting stages. It forms a palimpsest in which some images, marks, and words are obfuscated while others remain visible, though shaped by previous or subsequent gestures and events. Painting, thus, serves as a metaphor for the phenomenon of recollection. My painting process mimics or simulates that of memory, with its numerous layers and textures, resulting in works that both illuminate the past and encourage interpretations that are starting points themselves.