Artist’s Statement
It often comes as a surprise to others that my work doesn’t evolve from subject matter; but rather toward subject matter. My initial motivation with each new work is to push pure form, space, and color toward personally challenging arrangements. These designs are deliberately set-up as fragile entities that present two dimensional compositional problems. Once an interesting design is developed, I adjust my intent to permit subject-matter to enter the non-objective image.
The final solution comes from respecting the original non-objective image while translating it into a subjective one, as determined by both conscious and preconscious decisions.
As a second generation artist/designer, I recall the curiosity and questions I had for my father as I watched him working before his canvas during my early childhood. The sight and the smell of the paint as well as its plasticity intrigued me. Even now, entering the later stages of my own career, I still find paint to be an invigorating material, but even more-- I see it as an ally for the pursuit of personal inquiries into the realm of space, form and color.
During much of my career, my focus included both printmaking and painting. Now it seems that I am moving steadily toward painting, for its immediacy and its breadth of technical qualities. I would be remiss if I did not also add—for its sentimental appeal.
By 2006, having completed a total of four monumental, figurative murals within interior public spaces, I began to assess changes that the murals have precipitated in my thoughts about painting. For example, there has been the realization of how much “real-estate” I have covered with paint during those endeavors, and a new awareness of how much pleasure I find in “engineering” a painting---not in the sense of the overall goal—but rather in the sense of juxtaposing and overlapping form, space and color.
My fundamental interest in creating visual pieces owes less to the object represented, than my intuitive desire to organize dissimilar elements within the painting itself.
Making personal art reminds me of traveling. Too much focus on destination does not induce one to have a trip worth remembering. On the other hand, to wander aimlessly is rarely if ever, productive. So it would seem that a compromise permits the most productive experience. Envision your destination--but forget time-keeping and commit yourself to explore the side roads. Too, consider asking yourself on occasion if your original destination is still where you want to go. Be willing to adjust, but never be aimless. Stay focused. You must imagine a path if you desire to find order in the world. In the end, it is how much of yourself you invested that will reward you. If you have managed well, you will be rewarded by the journey itself. A miracle will have occurred if your journey is of interest and has meaning to others.