Self Portrait
Artist Statement
The subject of the work varies from purely abstract forms to figurative work. Some of the work straddles elements of abstraction and narrative. The figurative work often portrays imaginary scenes, but at times, may attempt to simply recreate a realistic moment, “a snapshot in time”, relying on photographic sources. When working from photographic source material, I lean heavily on my own photographs, shot by myself, or taken from my own family photo collections. Occasionally, I will borrow from other sources for elements/pieces in a larger narrative. Many of the pieces I’ve worked on employ a process that borrows from personal sources, found sources, and my own imagination, within the same piece.
Some of the underlying idea’s that drive the work would be a childhood fascination with the encyclopedia, and storytelling. Another driving force is movement/physics as it relates to purely mechanical movement, and to it’s relationship with the history of art, a fascination with all the things that move around, and within us. There is also a fascination with movement, as it relates to our journey through life, histories, systems, and philosophies.
Many of the pieces are wood construction/assemblages that read as relief sculptures with 2D/3D elements. Pieces of plywood are cut and joined to create a certain amount of surface depth, often in the form of sunken relief. Paint and stain are often applied. This same aesthetic has also been used with works on burlap, canvas, and paper.