Interruption #51 Painting

Bio – One of my earliest memories of art and painting was a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago with my father at the age of ten– and thought it was the most incredibly boring museum I have ever been to. My idea of an interesting museum was the Museum of Science and Industry. My opinion obviously changed over the years since I eventually ended up graduating from SAIC with my BFA. My first art related job was with Limelight – a very edgy nightclub at the time. Lots of celebrities came through, i.e., Divine, Kathleen Turner, and the lead singer from Dead or Alive, Pete Burns. I also got to work with artists like Ed Paschke and Mark Kostabi on the constantly changing murals. I was primarily working as an illustrator, for newspapers, magazines and advertising firms – and actually worked on projects for the Museum of Science and Industry. But, I was still courious and fascinated by the world of galleries and museums. Concurrently, I continued to paint, experimenting with many styles and techniques. Years later, I accepted a full time position with Met Merchandising Concepts. Essentially a fixture and display company, Met also produced original artwork for sale to large department stores such as Marshall Field’s (Macy’s), Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. The art produced ranged from traditional images of urns and still lifes to very contemporary abstract collages that utilized a variety of media. The experience of working at Met revitalized my passion for painting, and I produced a substantial amount of work that has an affinity with early and mid 20th century artists. Of course, my work continues to evolve. My collective experiences, shape, influence, and propel my paintings in new, and hopefully unique directions. After years of working as a designer/illustrator and developing brands for clients and selling their products or ideas, I decided it was time to start focusing on my own vision and getting that out into the world. For the past six years, that has been my mission; it is what motivates and inspires me everyday of my life. Artist Statement – Adaptation, change, transformation and mutability are the primary themes that characterize my work. These issues manifest themselves in different ways – sometimes it is through the combination of disparate elements – a flower, bird, or landscape merging with mechanical or technical structures – other times, it is through geometric forms.