Altered Reflections

Artist’s Statement:

My art has always been a medium between the self I know and the self I allow the world to see. So often I am faced with my internal conflict between the dualities I feel and what society tells me is “allowed.” I am a being of both light and dark, love and hate, pain and beauty, violence and peace. We have all been taught that the negative side of this contrast was taboo and meant to be ignored or stifled. I believe to embrace only one side of self is to “half-live” and to embrace an illusion restraining us all from reaching our full potential. While creating, I invoke the ugliness and violence to mingle with beauty and peace. By doing this a doorway is opened to a pathway of understanding, not only of myself, but also of those around me. This has given me a higher sense of connectedness to the universal relationship we all share. I use extreme contrast in lines, colors, and themes in my works to stimulate an evaluation of who we really are in respect to the global community. What truly is the difference between a house hold pet and a wild, savage predator? What is the difference between a loving husband and a violent criminal? My ultimate goal is for an individual to approach a piece of my artwork and be stimulated. No matter what response is generated; anger, peace, inspiration, or disgust, my hope is for it to foster some sense of awakening and honesty within one’s self.