Artist Statement
The experience that I bring to each public commission includes more than 20 years as a practicing public artist with projects installed in a variety of public settings nation wide. I have completed many projects including several indoor & outdoor works for settings such as, library’s in San Jose and Solano County, CA., interior and exterior lobby’s for the Embarcadero Center, SF, West Sacramento Community Center, for the Cleveland Botanical Garden, for City parks and Rapid Transit Stations in Sacramento, CA, Denver, CO. and Des Moines, IA. I have also completed multiple public/ private collaborative projects for commercial institutions such as Target Co. and Kaiser Permanente. I am knowledgeable of planning documents, site plans, civil/ structural documents, and ADA requirements. Also, I have served on multiple design team efforts and have experience working with Division of State Architects in California.
On public commission projects, I fill many roles in addition to “artist/ designer”. I offer the service of liaison with the architectural design team, building professionals, City staff and local communities. I am responsible for all aspects of the projects including: design, community outreach, supplying and coordinating construction documents for the artwork within the larger scope of the project site, obtaining government approvals, and most often, fabrication/ installation and graphic representation of the projects. I am also familiar with the design/ development process and the policies & procedures of several large art in public places programs, including; the City of San José Public Art Program, San Francisco Arts Commission and the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission.
Working in the public realm, I have come to understand the ability of art to transform our relationship to our physical environment by evoking a sense of emotion-curiosity, beauty, whimsy and /or and a desire for additional investigation. Art in public locations reaches a broad audience and as such, I believe that it should be widely accessible both in its appeal and its ability to challenge our common notions of form and content.
An additional focus that I bring to my work is material handling and craft. Though much of his work is intended for larger scale environments, I strive to bring a studio sensibility to the execution of my designs. As such, I often assume the role of fabricator/ installer on my projects, often in collaboration with other artists and crafts people. I am constantly seeking new ways to adapt industry standards for the use of durable materials into new designs in public art. I extensively research and follow traditional methods and current industry standards for specific applications and material fabrication to create works that are permanent, safe and low-maintenance. I have a strong track record of delivering my projects on time and within budget. Additionally, I am a licensed general building contractor in the State of California. I understand, enjoy and am committed to the collaborative process of public art- coordinating successfully with the project architectural team, receiving input from all constituencies including community, coordinating site work with project managers, working with elected officials and arts staff.