Phantoms Three - Limited Edition of 3 Photograph

"Some call my work dark and revealing. Others call it romantic and introspective; strange contradictory descriptions to the lighthearted and social person I am. But after a lifetime of trial and error in figuring how to be honest in my work and life, they are observations that well explain what I create: Pure, passionate and feeling works that stir the inner voice of both participant and viewer." My story as an artist began in the early 80s, when, after graduating from Brooks Institute of Photography, I opened my first studio in Las Vegas, Nevada—a mod little space constructed from the remains of a 3000-square foot citrus warehouse. It was there my roots formed as I worked non-stop producing, photographing, and directing projects ranging from nightlife to leisure, portraiture to lifestyle, wild animals to intricate special effects, entertainment to advertising. I was in my mid-twenties, young, evolving, and thirsty for experience. A fresh set of eyes in a city full of energy as my business grew faster than imaginable. Not ready for the degree of success that came my way, I lived fast and fell hard. It was a decade where I grew up through experiences too numerous to share in this biography. Bright and dark memories that, to this day, are foundational subtext to the perspectives grounding the important value I place on humanity and artistic integrity. In my thirties, as the Las Vegas chapter hit its pinnacle, I faced a creative, spiritual, and emotional Do-or-Die. Driven by hunger for growth and culture, I realized I had reached a professional and personal crossroads. So, I decided to close my Las Vegas shop to travel the fashion cities of Europe; exchanging security and predictability to live a vagabond life in further experiencing risk and people. It was an uncharted time, a living out of backpack and rolling suitcase journey where I navigated a roller coaster of diverse languages, cityscapes and customs. A week-by-week schedule of country-connecting train rides and hostel stays where each day I peeked over the edge of financial ruin. It was a life-change to the fullest, my livelihood wrapped around my waist as I survived on cash pulled out of a hidden money belt. A character forming trek that, in the end, left me homeless and stripped to the most simple lifestyle. Yet, under it all, a great blessing was gifted to me—the birth of my cultural outlook and story telling curiosity.