Artist Statement
These works are my attempt to acknowledge present day geo-environmental realities while recapturing some aspect of the complex emotional reaction that we have when we encounter nature in a profound and visceral way.
Over the past half century the geopolitical dialogue on the subject of nature and our place in it has changed dramatically from one of abundance and exploitation to one of fear and mitigation. In one light, these works can be seen as participating in this discourse on power and destruction, both of and from the natural environment. In another light, however, they can be seen as signaling an impending shift in human/nature interactions. We are just beginning to see the true essence of our communal relationship to all life, including that of the planet itself – a continuum from which we have intellectually separated ourselves.
My sources of inspiration can be found in the earth sciences, architecture, and Buddhist thought. Many of the same forces that shaped the earth, such as gravity and erosion, also shape my imagery. I am pouring or dragging a graphite preparation onto a flat surface and letting it spread across the substrate unimpeded. Laying down this graphite ground is an exercise in giving up control and letting nature take its course. My formal interventions into the work allude to human efforts to understand, classify, and both mentally and physically subdue nature.
This work engages me on many levels; it is concurrently a scientific investigation fueling intellectual research, a meditative practice calming the mind and relinquishing expectation, and an artistic celebration of sheer joy and delight.