Satement
My work is essentially improvisational, influenced by my surroundings and
filtered through art history. I’m interested in developing a personal language
of impulse, memory and observation. I investigate visual perception and
the complexity of pictorial space using color and layers and texture to
create illusion and even confusion. The empty holes in the constructions,
and how the shapes effect the white wall surrounding them are as important
as the paint. The images are complex in construction and surface, the colors
bright and saturated. With so many things going on at once, I want the viewer
to have a feeling they are watching the paintings rather than looking at
them.
In all of art history the human figure has always been the most compelling
subject, weaving in and out of other subject matter including abstraction.
When I lived in NYC I painted figures in interiors. When I stayed on the
Delaware River I painted figures in water. In my studio on a hill in rural
Sullivan County, the figures moved to inhabit abstract landscapes which then
evolved into fanciful visions of mountains and streams. In the current paintings
the figures and mountains have in a way merged. The constructed shapes are
derived from landscape elements, specifically unusually shaped rocks, and
driftwood. They refer to the figure with gesture and scale and a suggestion
of movement. In these paintings the landscape is striking a figural pose.
Travel opens my eyes wide and fuels my work. I’m able to make calculations
I couldn’t have imagined without it. I use my camera to both savor the moment
and to store up some of the visual excitement. I always come home with flash
cards full of images, a head full of ideas, and an intense desire to work.
I visited Ecuador and Galapagos in Jan 2001. I was deeply affected by the
variety of spectacular landscapes and the vibrant culture. I found the stark
volcanic islands of Galapagos especially thrilling. I was invited back in
Aug 2002 to take photographs for Ecuador Verde, a consortium of ecolodges.
I visited Bali in April 2005. Bali is an island of exquisite sights and
sounds, full of talented and charming people with immense cultural wealth.
The most recent paintings have Balinese names.