Artist's Statement
My work attempts to communicate ideas about the entity known as "nature." As an animist, I believe everything in the universe has a spirit. Via landscape, my primary body of work, I concentrate on interpretive realism in hopes of giving the viewer a sense of animist beliefs - that there is spirit everywhere, even though it may not be manifest. In a secondary body of work, I pursue the concept of "imaginary nature," that is I paint a kind of surreal abstraction with the idea in mind that the objects I create are tangible. Ideas I explore here generally make their way into my landscapes, and vice versa. A third, small body of work is still life, where I explore issues of craft and process.
Biography
-Born 1966, Marietta, Georgia, USA.
-Attended Portfolio Center with scholarship, 1985
-Attended the University of Georgia, 1987-1990 :: major: painting
-Attended Atlanta College of Art, 1985-1986, 1992-1993 :: major: interdisciplinary :: BFA, 1993
-Graphic Designer, 1994-2003
-Chief, Artisan's Guild, Ár nDraíocht Féin, 2003
Bodies of Work
-Surreal Animal and Plant Forms, 1987-1991
Oil and gouache paintings. First major step in going beyond the cartoon/illustrative stylings of my adolescence, towards an acceptance of non-literal representation.
-Arboreal Fascinations, 1992-1994
Acrylic paintings and charcoal drawings dealing with the abstract qualities of trees. A continuation the process begun with "Surreal Animal and Plant Forms."
-Abstraction and Color, 1995-1999
Oil paintings and drawings in various media. During this period, I was most interested in process.
-Something Beyond the Real World, 1999-2003
Experiments in photography using cheap and/or old medium-format cameras: a Holga, a Lubitel, and a Rolleicord; and with representational drawing and painting. Subject matter - especially places, people, animals and things close to me - is the most important thing.
-Imaginary Places, Imaginary Things, 2003
Oil paintings and drawings in various media. Subject matter is externally abstract but internally representational.
Exhibitions
-University of Georgia Materials and Techniques Show, Summer 1989
-Atlanta College of Art Senior Exit Show, Spring 1994
-Eyedrum Charity Show and Auction, 1999
Collections
-Mrs. and Mrs. Ben W. Northcutt :: Marietta, Georgia
-Ms. Ena Ballard :: New York, New York
-Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Neely Young :: Decatur, Georgia
-Ms. Michelle Webb :: Decatur, Georgia
-Mr. Marshall Avett :: Jackson, Georgia
