Artist's Statement
Art with a capital A, to me, means aesthetic action that becomes culturally relevant or transformative.

Culture is a powerful guiding force that affects individual actions, choices and preferences in ways seldom consciously perceived. I believe that a healthy culture can help individuals live in greater harmony with their environment, each other, and guide them in their personal growth to find healthy expression and fulfilment for their individual desires and endeavors. I consider many aspects of the dominant cultural trajectory quite unhealthy, destructive to human dignity, and dangerous to the welfare of the planet.

My personal project is to become increasingly aware of the field of culture -- to navigate culture consciously, gleaning from the rich repository of hard won human insights, skills and experiences, and to increasingly influence how culture is lived.

Ambitious? and how does making pretty pictures do any of that?

My work follows three major aims: research, persuasion and material production.

Research:
My research is chiefly aimed at self development -- honing my perceptions through the practice of painting and drawing and absorbing what I can of the wealth of art history.

My father is a medieval art historian, so I grew up traveling to Europe's castles, cathedrals and museums and remain deeply grateful for being grounded in that rich cultural heritage. I have essentially been working my way through the history of western art and would say my painting is currently at the turn of the twentieth century cusping between Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. In working through the gradual changes in art history I seek to understand the biases, technical means and vocabulary of expression of each period.

Persuasion:
Most people don't take art seriously. Few look to art for guidance and council -- diversion, entertainment or the fashion of the day perhaps. I've come to believe that once a thing is recognized as "art" and categorized as painting or sculpture, it looses much of its power to provoke serious thought. The public may wonder what the object's intent is and is likely to say: oh look: it's "political art", "happy art" or "angry art" not political, happy or angry. Things are made safe by being "art."

I feel therefore that my efforts at public education or persuasion succeed best when they are not recognized as "art." So I developed a strategy of public, object centered performance, that seeks to present folks with confusing artifacts and situations in order to open up space for dialog and discovery. (visit:polemic, links)

Material Production:
The history of art chronicles the finest in material production, preserving practical skills for the manipulation of materials and the production of practical as well as symbolic objects. Drawing upon what I have learned of this history, I strive to produce objects of the highest quality, to receive fair compensation for my efforts, or to exchange them directly for goods and services.

I make goods ranging from fine art paintings, sign painting, advertising design for worthy causes, sculpture, pottery, etc.

All three aims are united by my hope to participate in a meaningful way in the evolution of culture.