Artist’s Statement

My current work focuses on the relationship between form and figures and the intimacy of those figures in a space.  My goal is to capture the quiet moments between subjects that are centered on one activity. The figures’ gestures and postures also become important clues in these narratives.

Water has been a recurring theme throughout my artistic career. My 2007 series focuses on water disasters and the human figure, in particular the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and Hurricane  Katrina, that devastated so many lives. I remember feeling like a spectator watching the helpless bodies of people, animals and the landscape get washed away. I was moved by the enormity of the destruction and by the loss of life captured in so many photographic and video images. I wanted to capture this horrific act of “Mother Nature,” and focus on those victims who lost their lives and on those who survived. The black and white, as well as the hand color lithograph, “Calm after the Storm” and the oil paintings “Water Disaster Series 1 & 2,” capture the indiscriminant power of storms. There was no color, ethnic, or religious separation. All where affected equally. In these pieces the fury of the storm has just past and nature has gone back to its calm, serene state. The only things that remain are the bodies left behind and the changed lives.

My 2006 series, “Boys in a Tree,” “Freedom Series 1 & 2,” and “Women Leaving,” explore brown and black skin tones as they become central to the composition. Through collaged textures and multiple layers of transparent color, I tried to capture the internal glow as well as the richness and variety of colors within brown skin tones. These pieces are a celebration of brown and black skin. Along with the exploration of skin color and texture, these works on paper and board are an extension and reflection of the ordinary/everyday occurrences that I try to capture.

In my narrative pieces the strategic placement of the lights and darks becomes important to enhance the viewer’s experience of the work. This is ese are also an essential element in my paintings and prints. It focuses the viewer’s attention on the mood and the tension between the characters.  Color adds another vital layer to the description of each character and its surroundings.  The hands, feet, and heads of the figures describe movement throughout the works.  Working life size also gives the viewer a starting point to connect with the narrative composition.

Through printmaking, painting, drawing and collage I explore and expose my inner dialogue on the complex issue of human interaction. Capturing the nuances between our universal gestures, postures and glances is the motivating force behind my work.  Furthermore, by choosing to work in layers, I create depth and tension on the picture plane. This also provides a framework that enables me to deconstruct our human intricacies in relation to my identity, culture and position in society.

Artists Who Influence My Work

Artists that have influenced my work focus on the ‘narrative’ or ask vital questions about issues that define our social existence. Kaethe Kollwitz and Rosa Bonheur are two such artists. Other artists such as Goya, Daumier, Delacroix, Orozco, Beckman, Golub, Guston, Spero, Applebroog, Marshall, Coe, Heap-Of-Birds, and Bearden, just to name a few, have also had a significant influence on my personal philosophy and artistic expression.