Artist’s Statement For years, artists have held the middle class in disdain. In the 19th century in France, art klatches known as cénacles were held together by “… that merry battle spirit we have all come to know and love: épatz la bourgeoisie, shock the middle class.” This continues to be the reason for much of what passes as art today—to use art as a shock and awe campaign to soften up this midsection of society for a cultural reformation. My work is geared to this antagonized and broad section of the public. For these people, the art world has been largely inaccessible for decades (I assert that this is on purpose). Although I do not intend to be overtly antagonistic to anyone outside this group, my work has been known to have that effect, as it has been labeled “anti-liberal.” I add layers of meaning to my work, hoping that viewers will feel satisfied when discovering some new and thought-provoking idea that went previously unnoticed. M. Taylor Overbey, MFA, EdD.