2007-2009

This body of work deals with complex narrative. With large paintings I aim to engage the viewer with sequential areas of discovery that orchestrate both composition and narrative development. By stacking multiple related narratives and sub-narratives in a single composition, the paintings challenge the viewer visually and conceptually. Using elements of humor and surrealism I develop playful narratives filled with information that perpetuate the search for narrative closure. My approach to representation makes a conceptual distinction between realism and the real — the real has little to do with superficial representational mimesis. Instead, when an object occupies a specific point in space and time, the viewer can believe in it, making it more real than the qualities provided by stereotypical photographic realism. My commitment to the real allows me to balance the associative powers of abstraction with the concrete demands of representation. I strive to give the viewer the feeling of reality imbued with energy and expression that the experience of life provides but photos rarely capture. - 2009