Personal Statement
Art has been my best form of therapy.
I am disturbed by what I see around me in regards
to society and human nature. In turn, I find myself in
front of my easel
reflecting on the life dilemmas that I am forced to deal with
everyday. Releasing all
of my energy on to a canvas always seemed to help, and somehow
my reactions
transformed themselves into pliable, organic matter that needed
to
be expressed on a surface. My art has become an emotional
response to the social issues that surround me.
Since emotions are in the mind,
I do not use literal reference. Instead, I use
my mind, and play on what I create on the canvas. I take a certain
reaction, feel it as much as I can, and drive it into my work.
My feelings tend to
come out in the form of natural substances, especially elements
within the body, such as
fluid, veins, and organs. With each piece of art, these
forms sustain
their own life, and are given their own environment
to thrive in. The forms are transparent and
lucid, like the emotion itself, when it
enters and is sent
throughout
the brain.
My emotions are easily revealed
through the use of color, medium, and size
of surface used. Color is the best way of interpreting
my
moods I am trying to convey. I work a great deal in the
darker hues, and
allow light to weave through the piece. The colors themselves
contain primary meanings,
blues and purples could signify deeper feelings are involved,
reds and yellows mean anger or shallow
thought. I enjoy using watercolors and acrylics, for they
create the spatial effects I
want, by thinly applying the layers of paint. The deeper
the depth
of the painting in regards to space, the stronger the emotion.
Size of surface is also important. The
smaller the piece, the more
I would like the
viewer to
be drawn
in.
I create my pieces with the viewer
in mind, for I believe communication with the viewer
is the most important aspect of my work. General negative
social issues
such as exploitation, discrimination, and destruction of societal
structure are hinted at throughout
my art. Since these issues are not literally expressed,
I give the viewer a chance to probe into the piece
and develop their own interpretation. I believe that art
should be interesting enough aesthetically so that the viewer
can take the time to examine and draw their own conclusions about
the work. Ideally, in those vital few
seconds of viewing a work of art, the viewer's outside feelings
will be erased, and will be filled
with new insight. I am using emotion as the bridge between
the forms I create, and the
content I convey. If one can understand what issue I am
trying to address
while analyzing the forms, and feel as I felt when the
piece was created, then I feel I am successful.
