I work to represent the psychological distortion in human interaction. Each piece seeks to establish a visual language that portrays the emotional inner life of its characters. They depict both our misinterpretations of others skewed by personal neuroses, and our rare glimpses of truth.
I’ve lived in New York my entire life, and that plays a huge part in my fascination with the human psyche as it relates to social behavior. I see way too many people smashed together on the subway; I can almost hear the cacophony of a thousand little brain motors running as they respond to an overwhelming excess of external stimuli. The canvas acts as an amplifier to this otherwise inaudible noise, and allows for the psychological subtext to come barreling to its surface.
My process also reflects the clutter and chaos of the city. I begin with automatic sketches, adding magazine cut outs and paint, allowing for the dialogue between these disparate elements to grow organically. The figures in these pieces expressively react to their environment and to one another. In order to visually capture an emotional response, I use distorted forms to incite an exaggerated drama.
Although the works portray human beings clad in all that is vulgar, they can also be experienced as a celebration of togetherness. They reflect the union of extravagantly flawed individuals, climbing on shoulders, squeezing on hands, and groping in the dark for contact, as they muddle through life.