Artist Statement
My current work follows two paths.
My first path is philosophical. I make art about art: art about what is art, art about the art world, art about the artist and the collector, and art about art exhibitions. I ask, what is art? what is communicated by art? Is art a uniquely human endeavor? Can artificial intelligence create art? what are art’s boundaries?
This path is conceptual, embodies philosophy, and refers to art theory and history. It raises questions, and may have a message.
Because the concept is the starting point, its execution is often interdisciplinary. Each project has different needs. I use flash fiction style of writing, as it declutters writing. I utilize legalese and legal writing, as I appreciate its structure and organization. I paint in oil and watercolors. I enjoy the materiality of paint. I have worked with photographs, videos, live readings, and drawings.
My second path is self-exploratory. It is external and internal.
It’s external in that I explore what’s possible to materialize or dematerialize with different tools, different techniques, different types of paint, different surfaces, different performances, different contexts, and different cameras. I reflect on the sound of graphite on paper. I ponder the drama created with charcoal. I reflect on words one at a time. It’s a technical and sensory approach.
In my internal inquiry, I think about the role of consciousness in my work, the role of spontaneity, the role of imagination, my emotional states, my worldview, my political convictions, my reliance on logic, my background, my sexuality, my ambitions, and my childhood. How can I get better? How can I achieve flow in my work? What’s meaningful to me?
These approaches almost always intertwine to different degrees without hope for separation.