About

Bio

I came to Philadelphia from Phoenix AZ in 1988 with a head full of modernism (BA Arch., Va Tech 1986), punk rock and youthful stabs at art, all of which barely co-habited. Taking night classes at Fleischer and PAFA, I fell under the influence of Christine Lafuente and her enthusiastic pursuit of observation and paint. I plunged in, enjoying the challenge and direction though slightly concerned about where all this was headed. In 2002, I was convinced by an exhibition of Edwin Dickinson’s work and the dexterity of his artistry to include all of my concerns and ideas as painter, designer and person. Prompted by a brief meeting with John Cage in 1986, my perception and work gradually transformed, making the unintentional as important as the target. Less was I an automaton that channeled unedited visual information (former ideal) and more was I a guy making decisions and choices on how and what to paint. I became less concerned with displaying a cohesive artistic philosophy or perceived consistency, and more with using my experience, intuition, and curiosity to provide direction. The internal logic and rules of an individual painting provide limits that I now decide to respect or defy.

With my trials and tribulations educating and changing me daily, compounded by my deceptive and flaky nature as a visual artist, one should regard the above statement as suspicious at best, and delusional at worst. I hope none of this detracts from your viewing of the show.