Within my work, I seek to
produce an allusive world in which the figures, objects, and
spaces that encompass them seem to hint at more than what is
depicted. My objective in doing so is to encourage the creative
mind to explore the possibility of multiple meanings. There are
times when I look at my own work and wonder what it all means,
what the story is, and where the ideas stem from. Like many artists,
I acknowledge the possibility of universal mythic images as established
by the Jungian philosophy of archetypes. "A work of art
has its origin in an unconscious impulse that springs from a
collective of universal values common to all men from which the
artist derives the archai of organic existence." Rather
than focusing on the source of my imagery, I am interested in
encouraging associations from the viewer based on their own experiences
and insight. I do not desire to create a fixed meaning but instead
hope to present an image that incites interpretive possibilities. The possibility for interpretation arises from the use of the female figure and symbolic imagery. Seemingly everyday subject matter, such as the female figure and recognizable objects, bridge the gap between the fantastic and the real. With cropping, gesture, and a simplified and flat depiction I create an ambiguous world that borders the edge of abstraction. Cropping of the figure is important for the work because in my mind it shows that I am not interested in strictly figurative painting. Since I do not use models or paint from objects, I feel free to take liberties such as unnatural flesh tones and generalizations of form that result in an exaggerated distortion of the figure that is detached and aloof in the attitude of the figure, and in the flatness of space and form. I place less importance on the supposed meaning of the figure and focus instead on visual matters such as cropping of the figure and objects that are psychologically charged through color and placement. |