Artist Statement

Through my artistic work, I aim to attain a balance between the physical and visual beauty of Formalism with the ideologies of Modernism. Thus, the art becomes inherently exploratative by grappling with the complexity of recognizing a linear historical legacy rooted in aesthetics as well as the reductive and exclusionary nature of that legacy. As a painter, filmmaker, and carpenter, artistic exploration and physical craft propel and influence the various mediums I produce in.

In painting, which I have frequently explored as a sculptural tool, the physical nature of the paint is exposed through an alchemic combination of materials. Using oil paint and washes, polyurethanes, resins, acrylics and enamels, I am driven by the desire to express my work in unified layers, marrying architectural structure and color to create a restive balance of form. I have pushed traditional painting to its limits and developed new and innovative methods of working within the medium, adding depth and dimension. Narratives exist within these layers; it is the exploration of the physical interplay of these materials that allows me to convey the depth of human concerns, including spirituality and impermanence.

As in other mediums, my abstract body of work in film strives towards constant experimentation and exploration. My most recent work has focused on creating meditations on human motion in relation to the natural environment. This theme has been explored in a combination of recent stand-alone videos as well as works designed specifically to augment my sculptures and paintings.

My most recent exploration has been in the realm of public art, which has been a combination of experimenting with physical space and experimenting with accessing beauty in the ordinary. The medium itself posed a host of new experiences, including learning the technical possibilities and limitations of the exposed environment. Furthermore, this medium provided an avenue to explore new spaces and how they work on and with my art, which seeks to document and express emotional states through abstract forms and structures. Ultimately, my understanding of public art is driven by an attempt to create utopic architecture, which explores the impact of art in public spaces and strives to access universal expression through conscious and unconscious interaction.

Regardless of medium, I experiment with and expand the materials’ possibilities. For instance, my public art combines my interests in film and sculpture by utilizing original video to illuminate the translucent towers I construct, creating motion in a stationary object. I find inspiration in the act of making art itself, driven by the belief that constant creation and exploration is necessary to sustain meaningful work. Incredibly hardworking and dedicated to the production of beautiful and moving art, my perpetual goal is a continuation of enhancing myself and enriching my work through exploration.