I want to understand a visceral reaction to a moment; my art draws people into a shared experience through the specificity of engagement. I question the idea of disagreement in close relationships. I want to understand how someone could choose such a different viewpoint from my own. I realize that I can only do that by contemplating every side of an issue. Drawing allows me the focus to do so.
Every person understands what it means to be human, and it is through that connection that I want to challenge the viewer’s initial reactions. I utilize different media in my drawings to transfer energy from the emotive plain to a physical manifestation. Like any challenging issue, my drawings carry a complexity of sensations through mark making and texture. Many of the marks I employ form barriers. They act as a force to keep the viewer away from their chosen path. They create new directions. I also use words as a mark-making device. When I repeat a word or phrase in writing, it also repeats in my brain. The meaning changes to something less mundane and cliché; it becomes the feeling of the idea behind the word, not the illustration of the idea.
Large scale work allows me the room to experience changes in sensation. The work fills my vision and allows me to let go of where I am. Color also plays an important roll in creating the work. Every change recognizes doubt, anger, disbelief, or regret. Unprimed canvas allows me to fight against the rough texture, and gives me the opportunity to use white as a fresh, new venture. These tools allow me to finish a drawing in a different state of mind then when I started. I have a clear idea of where I stand.
