Artist Statement
My work is a mixture of traditional printmaking and modern illustrative techniques. This style was inspired by the linear detail and dark themes in the works of 19th century French printmaker Gustave Dore and Japanese comic artist Kentaro Miura. I focus heavily on narrative and sequential series within my work, as I believe the art of crafting meaningful narrative to be one of the most noble and universal forms of creation.
We create, listen to, and pass on stories for the betterment of ourselves and others, but we often find ourselves drawn to those stories that are larger than life. Specifically, the old mythological narratives that our cultures were built upon are of great interest to me. They help us in the struggle with ideas that we cannot easily comprehend, as they often dealt with concepts that were themselves a change or a journey. It is this challenge that I too seek to tackle in my work.
The Living Chain is a body of work that derives its name both from the unifying symbol of the centipede as well as a reference to the nature of storytelling as a living and ever growing chain. While each piece has an immediate impact, I wanted to reward those that take the time to find and reflect upon the hidden and recurring details that create the narrative between the works. With this body of work I sought to create my own original mythology with its own rich symbols of meaning that the viewer can find and give meaning to. The violent, writhing figures throughout the work contrast against the religious and noble presentation of the narrative, a treatment heavily inspired by the artists of the Baroque period. Thematically the series looks into the divide between good and evil and the border between those we consider heroes and monsters. Each piece is an exploration into these themes with its own focus and relevance in the overarching narrative that the viewer can engage with as much or as little as they desire without lessening the experience.
We create, listen to, and pass on stories for the betterment of ourselves and others, but we often find ourselves drawn to those stories that are larger than life. Specifically, the old mythological narratives that our cultures were built upon are of great interest to me. They help us in the struggle with ideas that we cannot easily comprehend, as they often dealt with concepts that were themselves a change or a journey. It is this challenge that I too seek to tackle in my work.
The Living Chain is a body of work that derives its name both from the unifying symbol of the centipede as well as a reference to the nature of storytelling as a living and ever growing chain. While each piece has an immediate impact, I wanted to reward those that take the time to find and reflect upon the hidden and recurring details that create the narrative between the works. With this body of work I sought to create my own original mythology with its own rich symbols of meaning that the viewer can find and give meaning to. The violent, writhing figures throughout the work contrast against the religious and noble presentation of the narrative, a treatment heavily inspired by the artists of the Baroque period. Thematically the series looks into the divide between good and evil and the border between those we consider heroes and monsters. Each piece is an exploration into these themes with its own focus and relevance in the overarching narrative that the viewer can engage with as much or as little as they desire without lessening the experience.