Artist Statement

I’m not a painter…

In spite of the fact that you are viewing many of my works, which are primarily created using oil paints, I don’t consider myself a painter. I think of myself as a communicator, like a speechwriter, newspaper reporter, orator, or even in some aspects, a politician. I compose my ideas and try to present them in a manner that others can experience the way I feel while creating the composition. But where a speechwriter or reporter uses words to ply their trade, I am an artist, therefore I use the language of imagery to state my feelings and opinions. This imagery may vary from photography, to painting with realism, to figurative abstract, or even involve elements of found-object collage and assemblage. It may also vary from simple emotions like joy and contentment to more complex feelings such as fear, love and sadness. It is the process of communicating my ideas that is important more than the media used. In fact, it is the creative process of the communication that is important to me. While I am working on a piece, I am emotionally tied to it to the point of distraction. It becomes the sole focus of what I am doing. However, when I bring a piece to completion, the emotional attachment dissolves. I don’t feel the post partum effect that some artists talk about as much as I feel as though I’ve committed a captured moment of my essence and released it to the ether. The way a spoken word floats ever outward into space.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Dad's Buddy, Ashley


Dad's Buddy, Ashley
Collage
8 1/2 x 11 in.
2008


While rummaging through some family photos, I came across a photo of my father and my niece, and I was struck by the realization that in the photos they were the same age. My father died when my niece was very young. He had Alzheimer's disease but always seemed to recognize and take great joy from her. Even as his memory degenerated near the very end of his life, he would always brighten up whenever he saw her. Upon further digging through the photos I found one of my father holding a very young Ashley not long before his death.

I wanted to create the sense of the time-line that connects these 2 people who were very important to each other and also very important to me. I used xerox copies of the photographs so I could control the contrast and scale of the individual images. The lighter copies appearing 'ghost-like' as to indicate that the subject had passed on to another form of existence. Frozen in time, the clock which overlaps the interior frame references the time that has passed since my father was 18 (as in his Army photo) and my niece turned 18 (her senior photo in the upper corner). I also incorporated several other items such as the newsprint and crossword puzzle to add a sense of space to the works. I feel that the text conveys the feeling that there is more information here than you could take in at first glance. That it would take an investment of time to get the full measure of the meaning of the relationship being depicted. Much like reading a newspaper takes more of a personal investment than watching a news blurb on the television.

The original, being made of photocopies and newspaper, is not archival, so I scanned it to be able to produce archival prints. After scanning I colorized the entire collage in a sepia tint except for the central image which I left as black and white. I think that by doing this it keeps this moment in time fresh and in the present. Where I sometimes wish it was.

Monday, February 4, 2008

Bob, meet Jim.

Bob, Meet Jim.

12 x 12 inches. 2007
Illustration and photo-manipulation


This work references Robert Indiana's iconic pop art print of the 1960's featuring the 4 letters of the word 'love'. Overlaying this is a manipulation of the classic James Montgomery Flagg recruitment poster. I wanted to bring out several emotions at once with this piece. I use the Indiana reference to imply the 1960's and the relation and similarities of the war in Iraq with the war in Vietnam. But at the same time I wanted to reference the poster from World War 2 and the feeling of a more 'justified' war. The figure of uncle Sam is reversed to it's negative to add a ghost-like appearance which, I think adds to the sense of unease as though the victims and heroes of these wars were judging what was happening with the war today. I also use a tertiary color scheme to add in the unnerving effect of the work. This was originally done as a prelude to a painting but upon completing this reference, I think everything that I would say with the painting has been communicated with this piece.