The Awakening (2008)
My intention in this series was to create a space which breaks from reality, constructs a new perspective, and touches upon universal human truths. To abstract from reality is to create a metaphor, one which becomes coherent only after being combined with the viewer’s pre-existing library of symbolic imagery. In this realm of the subconscious, figurative and abstract elements combine with preexisting perceptions and archetypes to evoke sensations beyond that which aesthetics can provide. I’d like to invite the viewer to explore his/her own existence through the imagery depicted in these paintings.
This Moment in Time (2009)
My recent work is primarily concerned with space as it relates to the subject and the viewer. By juxtaposing abstract elements with three dimensional representations of space, I aim to create contradictory depth relationships which at once create depth and flatten space. The figure-ground relationships are often interchanging, as elements from the latter shift in front of the former. My artistic sensibilities are informed greatly by my background in psychology, an admiration for the female form, an interest in geometry, and a life-long fascination with modernism.
Rodin Studies (2008)
These oil on panel studies focus on bronze works by the French sculptor, Auguste Rodin. I was inspired to create this series while teaching at Stanford University, where I would often visit the Rodin Sculpture Garden at the Cantor Arts Center to draw from the life-size sculptures.
Essence & Material (2005)
Combining oil paint with mixed materials, the subject of this project is the abstracted female form. I intended the viewer to become a part of the creative process, whereby their own emotions and presumptions play a role in the story of the piece. For me, a truly successful work is one in which the meaning changes over the course of time, along with the changing perceptions of the viewer.
Expression of Mia
oil, acrylic, charcoal, sand & archival paper on canvas | 49.5 x 49.5” (126 x 126 cm)
Mother and Child
oil, acrylic, charcoal, sand & archival photographic prints on canvas | 36 x 33.5” (91 x 85 cm)
Krakow: Faith & Fortitude (2006)
This series was inspired by my first travels to Eastern Europe in which symbols are used to build upon existing archetypes. I use the figure as a subject in my paintings, either by breaking representation through expressive brush strokes and exaggerated form, or by utilizing a constructivist approach through abstraction. I find that when everything comes together, the work can achieve a lyrical depth without subsiding into narration or indulging in excessive randomness. Abstraction within these boundaries allows me to be both resourceful and inventive.
Series: Light Through a Window (2007)
The series, Light Through a Window, is a result of my personal fascination with pure aesthetics. By removing figurative elements entirely, I was able to explore the impact of formal elements on human sensation and perception, unadulterated by any literary implications. These non-objective mixed media collage works on wood exclude a subject in search of a truly visceral visual experience, independent of representation.
