The Lucky Series
This work is an expression of my interest in both history and art and how these things morph together to create identity and culture. I am especially interested in how history functions as a malleable source material that can be shaped and molded to express a wide range of social or political beliefs. To explore this concept, I have distilled my imagery into combinations of five themes: science, religion, sports, war, and economics. Each one of these disciplines promises some kind of truth or absolutism yet is subject to manipulation to suit the needs of a contemporary ideology. The relationships that develop among these cultural strands become contradictory, paradoxical, or unstable.
Painting is an ideal vehicle for exploring these ideas as the painted image carries a tremendous cultural weight. Painting also remains a vital part of contemporary art and as such is a concept-driven expression of the individual. Equally as important, there is an inherent expectation of discovering truth through the hand of the artist in the painted, narrative image. This is a powerful force in the mind of the viewer. I present the possibility of meaning through various appropriations and arrangements, however it is up to the viewer to find the connections and relationships necessary for a personal interpretation.
