Exploited # 01 Artwork - Limited Edition of 1

My work is based on social, cultural and political themes expressed through two dimensional, visual art. Basquiat and Banksy, for example, inspire me. My images are sourced from my own photographs as well as work I have recontextualized from other arenas, such as the internet, print publications, etc. I use text and digital manipulation, employing humor, satire, emotionally charged words, and other figurative language techniques to express my ideas. I'm particularly interested in understanding how social media, as a communication tool, influences relationships. Central to my thinking is that most people don't explore, and resolve, issues surrounding their identity. For that reason, I think, they fail to understand why they behave as they do, and that failure carries long-term consequences. What I’d like my art to accomplish is to raise “mindfulness” on the subjects of identity and consequential behavior. My website opens with a welcome page, an animated GIF, which illustrates many elements I incorporate into my images. My current work focuses on politics. The acrimony evident in United States politics is appalling. Social, political, and cultural practices shape our lives and government is polarizing the electorate and emasculating our country. Who we are as individuals, and collectively as a nation, is reflected by our decisions and actions. Timothy Egan (NYT op-ed, 3/5/16) reveals in a searing commentary that vast numbers of us applaud the existing rancor. I am appalled because, as he concludes: “The beast Is Us”.