Artist's Statement
Perspective - Active Viewing
Some of my favorite art was produced by Picasso,
Calder, Andy Warhol, LeRoy Neiman, Peter Max, and Matisse -- especially his work with cut paper. People have claimed to see the influence
of these artists in my work. This was not intentional, but I suppose it was inevitable considering how much enjoyment I have viewing
the work of these artists.
I did, however, intentionally set out to develop a style that
is original, exciting, and memorable. I desired to create very colorful art, and I wanted different areas in each piece
to be dominated by different colors. I also wanted these different areas of color clearly and distinctly defined. The primary subject
in a piece is overlaid by a set of carefully designed straight and/or curved lines. The primary function of these lines is to define
the various sections to be dominated by the different colors. Indeed, most of the time a given section contains shades of only a single
color, creating a style that I call "multi-mono" where a piece consists of multiple sections with each given over entirely to
shades of a single color. The set of straight and/or curved lines is carefully designed to both aesthetically enhance the piece, as
well as to play on the primary subject’s characteristics. The title of a piece refers to the primary subject, while the subtitle refers
to the line design. For example, in 'Revolver (target practice?)' the set of lines overlaying the revolver forms a bull’s-eye.
It is very interesting watching people's reactions to my art. Again taking 'Revolver (target practice?)', for example, most
people see the revolver right away; but for others it can often take several seconds, or the suggestion from a fellow observer, for
the viewer, to recognize the bull’s-eye. Some viewers don't even see the revolver at first, just a bunch of colored areas which they
know form something, and it takes a while before the parts to coalesce into a revolver. A few people even see that the various
colored areas are in the shape of the nested circles of a bull's-eye before they are aware of the revolver.
I enjoy looking at my pieces and seeing them from different perspectives by concentrating on just the primary subject, or by concentrating
on just the set of lines, or by being fully aware of both simultaneously. It is my wish that viewers of my art experience an initial
thrill that comes with discovering something new and colorful; but then lingering, exploring the piece, and experiencing that thrill
over and over each time the piece is suddenly seen from a new perspective.
Impact - Passive Viewing
Through observation of my emotional responses to a wide
variety of paintings I discovered that a given piece of work has the potential to provide pleasure in three distinct phases.
I have intentionally designed my works to provoke each of these three phases.
Phase 1 - DISCOVERY
Subjects are chosen that attract my attention based primarily on form and texture. Through framing, composition and use of color I
endeavor to present the image in an original manner designed to grab attention and generate the thrill that comes from discovering
something new.
Phase 2 - EXPLORATION
The chosen subject is overlaid by a set of carefully
designed curved lines. The curved lines are intended to complement the subject’s characteristics as well as entice the eye to roam
around the piece and experience the work from multiple levels (the image of the primary subject, the design formed by the set of curved
lines and the interaction between the subject’s image and the curved lines) thus eliciting the excitement and wonder of exploration
and familiarization.
Phase 3 - LONG TERM ENJOYMENT
Subject, composition, style and
color are all meant to come together forming a coherent and appealing whole establishing long term satisfaction over multiple viewings.
Context - Thoughtful Creating
The subject of each painting leaps off the canvas creating
a 3-dimensional effect. This is achieved through the use of a realistic painting style, fading the background and outlining the subject
in black. The line designs create the impression of forcing the subject down into the flat 2-dimensional background. The width of
the lines is uniform through out the piece defining a flat plane perpendicular to the viewer’s perspective. Having the lines flow
from the background and across the subject places the subject and background on the same flat plane. These two opposing forces, the
3-dimensional aspect of the subject and the 2-dimensionalality of the line design, generate an interesting conflict.
The philosophical foundation for creating this technique of blending subject with background is to emphasize the concept that everything
is at least partially defined by the context in which it exists, by its background. In my pieces the primary subject in each
painting is rightfully the focal point while the background is overly simplified areas of solid colors. Yet the unique identifying
characteristic of my paintings is the fact that the background does not stop at the edge of the subject, even with the well-defined
boundary generated by the sharp black outline, but flows into and through the subject intrinsically joining the subject with its background.