Nothing lasts forever. Every material has its own spirit. This process is my attempt to better understand how worlds of meaning are built up and swept away.
I. Materiality, or can I even paint with this?
I use a wide range of materials to create my works. I start by selecting significant, historical or meaningful materials and try to let how they behave dictate what comes next. I try to understand what gives my materials their them-ness and move from there.
II. Experiment, or what’s the difference between doing and watching?
I try to maintain an experimental methodology. Using dynamic, non-traditional materials means unexpected reactions. This opens a critical juncture: am I deciding what I want the artwork to be, or watching what the artwork becomes?
III. Iteration, or is it ever really finished?
I work layer over layer, slowly building up paint and stone, often embedding text, images and physical structures into the work knowing they will likely be covered over and remain unseen. These buried treasures help give it an independent history and remind me the work exists outside the practice of human observation. It has secrets.
IV. Sedimentation & Erosion
I use a wide variety of techniques to selectively build up and wear away works including painting, drawing, pouring, splashing, troweling, scraping, sculpting, bleaching, acid-washing, sanding, burning, ripping, patching, dyeing, exposing to the elements and more.
V. Incident & Accident
Brushes break, ink spills, canvas rips. I try to incorporate all random or fortuitous events into the work, reminding myself I am one of the work’s many authors: chance also has something to say.
VI. Nexus, or where does the gestural meet the geological?
I draw inspiration from a wide gamut of sources, including archaeology, geology, philology, the study of palimpsests, material culture, advertising, fossils, biology and life sciences, history, science fiction, physics, material sciences, and many more.
I try to synthesize human and non-human information to create pieces that contain emotional stories encoded into a material context. Barnaby Furnas said it best: “the personal in a historical way, and the historical in a personal way”.
My practice is playful and dynamic. It's always up in the air. If you have any specific questions, or would like to know more, collect or collaborate, feel free to drop a line. Get in touch