Artist Statement, 2023
Growing up, others often shared their life stories with me. There were times when a brief chance encounter would lead to the imparting of some form of deep existential wisdom, as though I were a repository of the lives and stories of others. As I have lived through and observed the dramatic upheavals of this era in contemporary American history, the focus of my work has narrowed and I view my portraiture as character studies enveloped by culture, politics, and the greater truths of our lives.
The basis of my work is portraiture and genre painting, and while its scope is sociological - I am equally interested in the face of and story of a busboy, cop, or king equally. Everyone is equal under the brush, and each life presents food for narrative.
Stylistically my work pulls towards impressionism in that I seek to capture a piece of the fleeting moments in life. Moments that reveal character and depth within the subject, moments that feel true.