Artist Statement

An artist is often confronted with the question, “Which medium do you work in?,” by a person seeking the common thread of the artist’s work. With my own work, however, the common thread is not one medium, but rather a common conceptual concern where the medium and format may change depending on the demands of each particular piece.

Although my artwork has been described in its most basic terms as portraiture, it often transcends that of traditional painted or sculpted portraiture owing to the fact that many of these pieces are illuminating biographies as much as they are visual representations. The biographical information included in each work is offered to the viewers to give them the opportunity to gain knowledge of the subject of each piece.

I present much of this work in the format of shrines, icons or altarpieces. This presentation implies an elevated level of importance, which in turn, encourages investigation and suggests a deeper concern for the subject beyond the image the viewer first observes. Additionally, echoing the format of such devotional imagery serves functions that can be summarized in three words: instruction, veneration and remembrance, all of which are important to my work. This format serves as biography, time capsule and reliquary, where the ultimate goal is to
pay homage to the subject.

Within this format, the information presents itself in various layers so each viewer can learn as much as s/he desires from each piece. The medium I use in each work is determined by stories and information relating to the subject. Historically, medium and style in art often serve as supplementary providers of information about the subject. Since an important aspect of my portraits is to provide information about the subject, the choice of medium can sometimes become nearly as crucial as the information itself. This methodology also hints at the
motivation for the inclusion of encaustics, the use of which is intended to allude to the spiritual and ritual functions which wax performs in numerous religious ceremonies.

Some of the portraits additionally become interactive exploratory biographies about the subjects in addition to static visual interpretations of them. Each viewer is allowed to interact with these particular works in order to discover as much pertinent information as s/he is interested in uncovering. Accordingly, the more time that is spent with these pieces, the more personal and rewarding is the information that is eventually discovered.

By contrast, the newest thread in my work is more universal rather than personal. The introduction of mushroom clouds is meant to symbolize universal concepts: Fear, power and destruction as well as revelation, astonishment, and the unknown. The form is simultaneously peculiar and familiar, while also appalling and awe inspiring, horrific and spectacular, reflecting humanity’s tradition of attempting noble goals while often achieving ghastly results which the human race frequently and inexplicably inflicts it upon itself.