"History Lesson" Painting

Born in London England. Raised in the Pacific Northwest. Studio in Los Angeles, California.

The work of Jacob Lawrence, my mentor at the University of Washington, has had a lasting affect upon my art practice. Lawrence's consuming interest in narrative, and his flattened and abstracted treatment of realistic subject matter were profound influences on my early development as a painter. In my own art practice I strive to create a balance between the representational and the abstract within the context of a specific subject or theme.
A recent installation of paintings, Criminals of the Ukraine, is representative of this attitude. The balance between the abstract background and the figurative foreground highlights the extreme emotional state brought about by the rough interrogation of individuals for past crimes. The representational image anchors the painting while the abstracted shapes, forms, and colors allow the viewer the freedom to expand their own emotional response to each painting and the group as a whole. This installation is also indicative of my reliance upon photographic source material. A specific photo or photos may be the catalyst for a painting as in the Criminals installation, or photos may help reinforce a concept by providing both realistic and compositional details.
As my work progresses unique psychological insights result from the reoccurrence of particular themes and stylistic marks. Death is a reoccurring theme. Not in a morbid or graphic sense, but in a more metaphysical sense. Animals and forests, which lend a primeval aspect to my work, and planes and ships, which represent the passage of time, reinforce this interest in transcendence.