"This body of work in progress is an account of my personal experiences
in our culture. I've become alarmed at the surging increase of income,
the limitless rise of housing costs, the blatant disregard and disrespect
of the bourgeois toward unfamiliar human experience and the resulting
disparity of individuals forming a classist society. This work began
as a journey of personal reconciliation and peace. There are countless
many that have much more experience, education, and eloquence in expressing
their ideas regarding society. I realize these are timeless issues
shared by artists, scholars, and other humanists. I continue reading,
writing, searching, and painting, seeking a comfortable compromise
to my own struggle between spiritualism and politics.
When
viewers look at my work, I suspect they will be drawn to the still
life or landscape first. They'll notice the colors, light, composition,
or forms. Perhaps they recognize the objects. The viewer may walk
away for a moment, but upon their return, this time the viewer may
notice the layers of papers, photographs, and paint. Leaning closer
still, they realize the collaged backdrop is comprised of newspaper
articles depicting atrocities against humanity, stories of domestic
violence, or injustice. They may recognize pages of old books recalling
cherished childhood memories or notice photographs and correspondence
of ancestors one or two generations removed, columns of personal ads,
testaments of loneliness and isolation in our society, and enticing
advertisements from Bloomingdale's and Tiffany.
How
easily distracted by opulence we are, in our American culture of excess
materialism and ostentation. We obsess about our possessions, their
cost, size, and comparison to our friends. So nice, our things. While
in forgotten drawers and dark corners of our lives are the issues
we choose to ignore: ill or lonely friends, family and neighbors,
discrimination and injustice, slavery, oppression, genocide...
It
is the hope that with recognition, education, and discussion of the
difficulties faced by so many people not dissimilar to ourselves,
comes the opportunity for relief of the pain, ultimately leading to
personal humility and fair, just, and compassionate society."
