Left—Untitled, 2020; Right—Waterfall Walk, 2020
What’s an important memory that led to this present obligation as a great painter?
My memory would go as far back as making drawings as a kid. My mom would always bring stacks of computer paper home from her work in Chicago; and there would always be crayons and pencils around to just draw.
Do you follow a code of ethics in what you create?
I’d like for the pieces to be able to talk back with me, reaching something sublime and metaphysical hopefully. When a work is finished I cannot make another move on it.
What is the symbolism of the angel, shark, and clown in past paintings?
I would say they behave more like an alphabet for me. They exist pretty bluntly and are what they are, but their coexistence in the same space make them kind of a new myth. Sometimes I have to make the shark more angelic to rid the notion of monster… so it will need the angel halo. Clowns are often in that same back in forth vein of love and hate.
What are your present goals as a recognized contributor to contemporary art?
Looking to have my work in more museums, maybe universities, anywhere in the public sphere. I’d like to go larger scale actually.