One of my newest works, Political Piggy, is a very unique and, well, complicated departure for me an an artist. I anticipate it to be the first in a series of pieces that use art to address very complex and controversial stories.

The piece is inspired by the horrific events in Los Angeles in 1969 involving the Manson Family. I wanted to create something that embodied the stories most intimate details (I still occasionally work as a journalist and I’m very interested in true crime), but that can also act as a kind of pop art memorial to what these events have come to mean in the 21st century, most notably the end of the peace and love era and the beginning of a very tumultuous time punctuated by a war on drugs, Vietnam and ongoing violence.

By no means am I celebrating the tragedy. Instead, my experience as a reporter (think: years of research) and ongoing student of history inspired me as an artist to attempt to communicate and understand the impact of the events in a concrete way (a literal pig).

I see this series taking on other controversial concepts, stories and moments in history, particularly as they relate to popular culture, race, sexuality and gender. Stay tuned.