I am a self-taught artist residing in Washington. While I am always experimenting and exploring new ideas, my current body of work focuses primarily on the juxtaposition of dark themes, such as depression, decay and ruin with images of beauty, vibrant colors and exciting textures. I often do this through the use of a repetitive shape. The viewer is attracted from a distance by the color and texture, but upon closer inspection, they see thought-provoking images. Ultimately my work is about communication. How does the viewer and the artist connect and communicate through the piece? I've always loved the interactive nature of my art and I often have people ask me if they can touch my work - to which I reply "Yes!" I love to see that discovery process. It is important to me to explore the obvious (and not so obvious) dualities of our lives and culture. We laugh when we are in pain, we say one thing and do another, and we portray ourselves one way but harbor a secret self. There is a constant push and pull between ‘us’ and ‘them’. I constantly look for ways to depict a balance between the sacred and the mundane, the man-made and the organic, the beautiful and the ruined. I find that in my growth as an artist I am driven to paint on larger and larger surfaces. I have watched people look at my artwork - they examine a piece for a little while and then move to the next piece. My goal for working big is to lengthen that state of exploration for both the viewer and myself. I want the viewer to remain in the painting for as long as possible, seeking new things in it, new textures, constantly stepping closer and then away to see how the parts relate to the whole. I want to see that push and pull experience that the viewer has with the painting. I want to see if my experience painting it (getting up close for to add details and then stepping back to see how it looks as a whole) translates to the viewer. |
