Mischief

Mischief is a collection developed for a new hotel/bar/restaurant concept coming to Williamsport, Maryland—a town on the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal. The work celebrates the “river rat,” a derogatory term reclaimed by the residents, and the canal mule, which was historically vital for pulling the boats along the region’s waterways—and often female, for her intelligence and sure-footedness. Featured in reimagined portraits of kings, queens, and pioneering artists, the rat and the mule are whimsical reflections on how perceptions of individuals change throughout history and on our contemporary moment. An additional two paintings were added to play on the dual meanings of the word "mischief,"  a group of rats and playful misbehavior. Rats replace human figures in adapted works depicting cardsharps and a churchgoer, respectively--the latter a nod to the location of the business, which is the former site of a 170-year-old church.