Alabama Invitational 2023 – Exhibiting Artist
Visually informed by the rich tradition of 19th and 20th century Naturalist illustration, my artistic
journey is currently centered on revisiting the pre-Scientific mindset. Within this exploration, I
am deeply interested in unraveling how the human mind perceived, organized, and attributed
symbolic value to the world prior to the Enlightenment. My aim is to capture what slips away
when reductionism simplifies the complexities and contradictions inherent in pre-Conscious
thought.
My animal subjects and grounds are informed by observable reality but are by no means
beholden to it. Central to my approach is a commitment to accuracy and detail acquired
through direct observation of external and internal spaces. Through meticulous rendering, I
strive to introduce subtle shifts in form and anatomy in order to investigate the subject’s
emotional tapestry. The resultant forms straddle the line between earthly and ethereal.
My creative process intertwines conscious exploration and subconscious excavation, guided
by studies of alchemy, Hermeticism, folklore, and world religions alongside mathematics,
natural history, and Platonic thought. Preliminary readings, writings, and participatory
dreaming lay the foundation for my paintings. While my explorations often begin with words, I
resist their boundaries in shaping the final image. I try to allow ample space (time) to let ideas
evolve, unfurl, and reestablish themselves, even if they now appear contradictory to where my
ego initially desired them to nest.
As society places greater emphasis on calculated rationality, a dialogue with our irrational and
unconscious selves becomes increasingly vital. Neglecting the contradictions within us robs us
of a richness that can tether us to a renewing sense of purpose. My work, nestled within the
foundation of scientific illustration, strives to illuminate the human, the unknown, and the
unconscious elements that persist in our physical world in spite of the rigors of scientific
inquiry.
