Artist Statement

(Above video: "LEXUS x DANKO")

Philosophically, my art at its core, is an anthem to the unfettered creative expression we hold in our formative years – when testing limits through adventure, laughter, and mayhem were integral to our developing understanding of the world around us. Visually, it centers on bending reality and distorting time through manipulations of scale, color, and context. My work juxtaposes classic oil realism against a backdrop of vibrant graphic elements on layered panels, that extend outward beyond the traditional rectangular 2D plane. This approach is informed by my time spent working in graphic design and advertising. We often think of the more insidious side of mass communication and discount the inspiration and core memories that were shaped through these images in our formative years. Many people will fondly recall a jingle or character from their youth that opens the flood gate of memories spent with friends when the world seemed vast and limitless.

In our youth we live in the moment. Our nascence yields an abundance of daydreaming and play making us spontaneous and curious – helping us meet life with a sense of awe and little thought of consequences. My own childhood days were filled with monster battles, ghost riding bikes into oblivion, and reenacting last-second game-winning shots on repeat. Some of my most inspired moments were far removed from parental oversight, when my own mayhem reigned supreme. For most, such slivers of time, along with a tapestry of life experiences are shelved away until some random colors, shapes, or smells spark the memory of a long forgotten adventure or discovery. Taking visual cues from the infusion of communications design omnipresent in everyday American life, I hope to reignite that spark.

My sculptural and multidimensional oil paintings are composed of ephemera from breakfast cereals, to sports, to fashion and everything in between. Objects like a LEGO brick or an Air Jordan sneaker become peripheral elements of inspiration. I present these themes as our shared history in joy and wonder. Working to play back these collected moments as monuments gleaned from our collective unconscious. I hope to provide a reminder of how our experiences combined with the visual culture that permeates our everyday lives ultimately shapes who we are, and helps us to define our place in time. The resulting lexicon of references are sources that continue to inform our curiosity and our pursuit of experiences that fuel our ambition and drive, first realized through “play”. My hope is to act as a catalyst sparking the best of our shared memories and the realization of how fun so many things in life truly are and still can be.