Constellation

Constellation
Oil
20"x20"

A Moment of Wonderment as the figure is in a transitory pose with the small galaxy which fireflies create. This painting is poetic in a sense which is closer to dreams, and the ways in which thought develop. Reasoning and "getting it" may not be the most reliable ways of getting to the truth

“Carry The Fire”

The title of the show stems from my strong resonance to Cormac McCarthy’s, “The Road” . In this novel he refers to “carrying the fire”, a phrase used by survivors to convey dogged perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds, and also a metaphor of basic human decency.

Phrases and imagery such as this are symbolic when they imply something more than their obvious and immediate meaning. To “carry the fire” has a wide subconscious aspect that is never precisely or fully explained, yet it is compelling nonetheless.

This notion serves me as a creative stimulus and motivation, a guiding light, if you will. My hunger to create imagery in paint is an undefined want, and it must be satisfied. Until the want is satisfied, it is difficult to know the nature of the problem.

My thinking has always been associative, and I like to let the viewer make associations. I would love to have the painting act as a Rorschach, stimulating the viewer’s vital role in the creation of meaning. In this regard, I feel more akin to poetry. Poetry is an awareness of the world, a particular way of relating to reality. They become the participants.

It’s important to have the viewer participate, that way they engage with me. Thereby, I hope to sustain the experience, generate response, and to move beyond the callous and superficial technical abilities. I am not interested in a painting proclaiming: “I was here” , so much as one stirring thought, narrative and questions.

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