Artist Statement

ARTIST STATEMENT:

My fascination with art is deeply rooted and connected with psychology and my relationship to my inner self as well as the proverbial themes associated with the natural and mythological worlds. I am interested in the individual psyche and the collective unconscious. Themes I explore include: my primal connection to the world, destruction vs. creation, opposing forces, paradox, and the mystical, cosmological, sociological, and pedagogical functions of myth.

My artwork reflects my interest in psychology, the collective unconscious, and universal archetypes. Using primarily figurative subjects, I explore the role of the feminine archetype within the masculine unconscious (Anima). I am influenced by the work of Mythologist - Joseph Campbell, Psychologist - Carl Jung, Psychologist - James Hillman, and Artist - Robert Rauschenberg. I am also highly influenced by fashion and commercial brands that incorporate creative juxtaposition of fabrics, materials, artistic elements, and graphic design.

My work is mixed media. I use materials that reflect my interest in environmental protection and recycling. I use old newspapers, discarded clothing and fabrics, and found objects. I also use materials that I have salvaged from home renovations or community projects. I combine these materials with oils to create my compositions. Therefore, each painting, expresses two-dimensional, as well as three-dimensional aspects.

My process and the materials I use are centered around a universal and natural theme, which is:

"For something to live something else must die."

In my work, I destroy in order to create. I take the discarded and unused and make it useful and give it purpose.

In the future, I hope to explore the same themes mentioned above using more abstract compositions. I am also working on developing full-size figurative sculptures that address similar themes and ideas.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Icons, Archetypes, and You


Images that speak to a whole generation and beyond are powerful.  They bring you back to a time when you can remember what it was like to be in that moment.  They also conjure up feelings of something that maybe lost or forgotten, but continues to live inside you and within us all.  You could say these images tap into the archetypes of our psyche.  These "original imprints",  we all share, tap into something greater.  The affinities we feel toward these images brings us back to moments and emotions that make us think, reflect, and connect us to something larger than ourselves.

That is what I hope to achieve with my latest series.   I spent some time working with images of my past.  Even though I may have come across these images with a certain sentimentality, I do not wish for that to be my reasons behind creating this work.  I have always wanted my work to stand for something greater than the image itself, and I do not think any right-minded artist would wish for anything different. 

A device used by pop artists, to draw people in, and help communicate their message is to use  familiar images.  There is a danger as well, and that is, people will take these familiar images at face value and not try to see beyond to what it may represent.  Familiarity could breed passivity.  Its my intention to manipulate the elements so that your interaction with the familiar image becomes a new experience due to the increased scale,  limited color, and "empty space."  The image fills a section of the canvas and the blank space is filled internally by each viewer.

I am still in process mode for this series, but I have a ton of motivation behind this series and I think it will be some of my best work.  Can't wait to get outside in the studio and work!
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)