Artist's Statement
I am a painter currently living and working in San Francisco, California. I have been painting since the age of 19 when I discovered that the skills I acquired in college art classes could be applied to the examination of my own psyche. Since then I have used painting as a tool to help me better understand myself, creating honest, humorous, moody and expressive paintings.
Currently, I am compelled to explore freaks of nature, animals whose physiology verges from the normal. Though often considered horrific–especially when created with imperious intent by humankind- they can be endearing as well. When I stumble across their images, I find myself unable to pull my eyes away: pity and revulsion battle it out within me as I peer in fascination at their abnormalities. I know I am not alone in my fascination as images of these unique creatures abound in the media. On the Internet alone they are often the most emailed image of the day, some achieving a near celebrity status.
My latest work "Little Abominations" is a series of animal portraits rendered in a whimsical, brightly colored fashion, giving them a children's-room feel. This initially distracts from their deformities. Once the 'wrongness' of the animals is spotted, the too-vivid colors and over-the top cutesiness seem cloying and twisted. My intent is to re-create for the viewer the juxtaposition between the allure and repulsion I feel for these oddities.
