MILLENNIAL ICONS is an ongoing exploration of my generation’s nostalgic attachment to symbols of childhood. Using the centuries-old tradition of oil on wood panels to elevate the status of my subjects—romanticized artifacts of childhood at the end of the 20th century—I am trying to grapple with the cultural transition that locates my generation’s place in the technological spectrum. Suspended between analog and digital as well as between centuries, we were the kids whose early years integrated technology into our lives without it being integral to them. As technology plays an increasingly dominant role in shaping our interpersonal and cultural experiences, I fear that future generations of children will move farther and farther away from the tactile toys and gadgets that we so enjoyed and have memories only of flickering pixels on cold digital screens.
