Statement2021
My artwork is meant to be influential. I love working in oil paint to express my feelings and ideas. Reading and listening to the news can be disturbing. Rather than getting frustrated by my inability to effect significant changes, I channel my emotions into my work using cutout news articles as a background collage. I hope my paintings can make a difference. To work in a style that involves the viewers, I paint portraits or hands doing mundane tasks, like clipping nails or washing hands. Viewers may have been unaware or indifferent to the subject, as is the person in the foreground, but they can study the articles and, even better, become involved. Later on, I became enamored with the addition of floating dandelion puffs and soap bubbles to my recent works as a metaphor for my beliefs, hopes, and dreams, which originate with me but spread my concerns, hopefully drawing the viewers in to read some of the individual articles below the transparent bubbles. I feel it is a novel way to express my opinions. I try to find the truth in what I say by using historical articles and the realities of current issues to inform the next generation. History shows we cannot have a bright future without correct historical recognition and reflection. Artist statement in general: I am interested in all kinds of art based on reality. I seek to find the truth in the human form and to translate that into my own vision of natural beauty. Without the beauty, imagination, and creativity my work provides me, how much duller my life would be. My artwork is a way of translating my experiences. I love working in oil paint to express my feelings and ideas. Reading and listening to the news can be disturbing. Rather than getting frustrated by my inability to affect major changes, I decided to channel my emotions into my work using cutout news articles as a background collage. I try to collect headlines and photos with the least biased content from around the world. Not only do I use current news articles that have an impact on me, but I also use original newspaper articles about historic events in order to preserve those stories on paper for the future. I am concerned that printed media may cease to be as prevalent in the future due to rapidly developing technologies. |