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.

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.
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