Réalité Supplémentaire
Artistic Statement
In a very real sense, we all make our own realities; both how we view the world outside of us, and how we view ourselves. Like “Schrödinger's Cat”, the true state does not exist until we observe it. Consequently, my goal as an artist is to not only observe these multiple states of being, but to show them to others as well - to expose this deeper version of reality, combining what we see, with what we might overlook, or perhaps don’t see at all. And in some cases, what reality should be, as opposed to what it is. This “exposure” encompasses both definitions of the word: “making known something previously unknown or concealed” but also “facing a particular direction”. I call this: Réalité Supplémentaire - not an alternate reality - more of a peek behind the curtain.
I love that every culture throughout history has given us the gift of their art. I soak up a lot of it; and a lot of it comes out in my own works. As a young artist, I was taught the traditional western European technics of painting oil on canvas. As I learned more, and more importantly consumed more art, I began layering on other ideas: the Chinese philosophies of working with space, the images of surrealists and pop artists, the economy of minimalists and abstract painters, the attitude and freshness of American outsider art and graffiti, the segmentation and delineation of Edo period woodcuts, the list goes on and on.
I take elements of many of these different artistic cultures and combine them with my own experiences and perspectives to create my own art. I hope you enjoy.