The vocabulary of my work is derived from the language of maps. I feel using these symbols in art is a bit ironic, as they, being descriptive and meaningful only within the context of maps, are crafted out of the same elements as art.

The theoretical basis of my approach is defamiliarization: presenting something as both recognizable and foreign. I implement in my work by using map symbols outside the reference of maps; by synthesizing historically and culturally disparate symbols; and by placing the symbols in formats that have their own system of meaning. The latter approach is often accomplished by referencing the format and character of Chinese scroll paintings. Thus, defamiliarization works in two directions: retreating from maps and from landscape paintings simultaneously.