Opening Reception: July 12th, 6:00 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Artist talk at 6:30 p.m.
2021
When referring to pure beauty, people often describe their initial reaction as “breathtaking.” When making this painting, I was extremely cognizant of daily news, especially the severity of the COVID virus and George Floyd’s death. I physically incorporated surgical masks into this piece -painting directly on them as my canvas. In an ironic twist of meaning, I named the painting “Breath Taken,” since COVID is
transmitted through respiratory droplets AND George Floyd uttered many times before his passing, “I can’t breathe.”
2. Nothing is Purely Black and White
2024
For far too long, many people have chosen to think in absolutes- viewing the world only through their own lenses. This logic forces a rigid idea that a moral judgment call MUST be entirely good (right) or entirely bad (wrong), leaving no room for gray areas. Life is much more complicated than making quick decisions and rationalizations using the mentally that “you are either with us or against us.” It’s easy, quick and doesn’t take much effort to make a rash decision. However, on the flipside, reasonable thinking takes an investment of time. It’s a lot of work. Open-mindedness is crucial in a diverse society. Deeper understanding, empathy, and kindness can only be achieved by making decisions that are based on individual circumstances and not on stubborn, preconceived constructs.
3. You Have Seen Some Unbelievable Things
2023
We all have a story. Each of us has witnessed some spectacular and some not so spectacular events in our lives. We can recall certain happenings- usually stand out instants of sheer beauty or overwhelming moments of utter entropy. They grab our intense interest, leave a mark on us and force us to react one way or another. However, it’s what we do with our interpretation of these pivotal moments that makes the difference. We either cherish these moments or allow them to move through our psyche until we are able to digest them, coming back to square one and recentering on our peaceful place in this world. “Everything changes, nothing remains without change.” -Buddha
These past few years have taught me a lesson. Most of us, at one time or another, are confronted with difficult or even devastating circumstances. Usually, they are unexpected and totally out of our control. They are dropped on us like an uninvited bomb. I have learned that healing is allowed to take place once you open yourself up to those devastating blows and allow TIME to gently cleanse your soul. Through the gift of time, listening, incubation, processing and creating became my best friends. My art became my salvation. Hence, my bold Stark Unreality series was born.
Nothing is ever purely black and white. As humans, we usually operate in a gray zone. We know this fact to be true. We have recently lived through a tumultuous, extenuating era. We have witnessed the culmination of the Black Lives Matter movement AND a worldwide pandemic with Covid-19. It was the perfect storm. But, with each battle we endure; we become stronger, more tenacious, more resilient, making us better, more empathetic allies.
When the pandemic blew up in 2020, I was supposed to be showing a newly painted Native American acrylic that was slated for New York City at the Salmagundi Club. The show was understandably cancelled. At the time, I, like the majority of the world, found myself in lockdown and isolation. As an artist, I was taken aback by the flood of heavy-ladened news, but I knew this was the time to make REAL, reactionary art. I dove head-first into these profound, abstract paintings. I knew I needed to speak from a visceral standpoint. Consequently, my Stark Unreality paintings feel more explosive than realistic renderings, reaching out to others on a sympathetic and empathetic level. I view them as visual news stories, summarizing the extreme, questionable changes we have all experienced and witnessed over the last several years.
My neutral toned, highly textural Abstract Expressionist paintings capture the sense of loss though aggressive slashes of paint, reminiscent of architectural and natural destruction – like a forest fire that has decimated an entire landscape. It has the feel of charred timber barely standing, balancing against one another as a crutch. However, the fact is, they still appear to be standing. Also, wrapped within each painting is a powerful sense of duality. What might seem like a contradictory force is perhaps complementary. The sense of reconstruction and new beginnings permeates throughout each given composition. There is promise within each painting. The essence of strength still remains. Whether black or white, straight or organic, smooth or textural – extreme polar-end opposites coexist. The world needs to learn this lesson, too.
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