VERBOTEN Artwork

DAN Artist Statement=The cannon of Art is a spiritual game and has brought some extraordinary metaphysical symbols into physical reality. My work is in a gray area between painting and photography; between, consciousness and sub-consciousness, between the spiritual and the physical. My purpose is play and my hope is for revelation. In the end it is always about logic and emotion. . Finishing my undergraduate degree in Photography at the Kansas City Art Institute, led me to build a photography business. I have worked in almost all aspects of photography including, photo journalism, legal, stock, business portraits, studio-product, modeling, media, wedding-events and fine art. I am qualified in studio as well location techniques. I have worked on projects for Reese Nichols Realty, North East Chamber of Commerce, Metropolitan Community Colleges, KC Convention and Visitors Association, UPS, Disney products, Business Journal, the State of Missouri and all the major hotels in town. I also taught beginning and advanced photography at Maple Woods Community College for nine years. I worked for and managed several One Hour photo labs over the years. At the present time I’m devoting full time to working on experimental art projects. As a photographer I find things. In a studio filled with “props”, I find an idea and make an image. This can as easily happen on the street. Pictures are everywhere, one only needs to look. I am drawn to something that can stimulate a response on a subconscious level. I may not understand it at the time, but will find it’s meaning in the photographic image later. As a designer I make things. My work is all digital so the image can be changed and crafted to force a conclusion Files are fed into the machine and a few strokes later the picture is automatically produced. Printed on high grade photographic paper. a thin black frame completes the piece. As a human I play. I’m always looking for something beyond what I know or something that fits. I play with chance and meanings. My goal is to work intuitively, so that sub-consicness can come into play ( a la Andre’ Breton). Chance is the mother of the universe, giver of the unique. I work in an organic manner, that is to say; the work progresses like a vine grows from one point then to next (one decision leads to new questions). I use art historical references, humor, hope ,silliness, truth.