The motivation for creating works of art and the conditions for its arrival is something I have always found fascinating. What draws our attention can be a curious thing: why are we interested in some things and not others? This question becomes even more obtuse in relation to the process of art making.
Creating a new painting can be overwhelming. Just as one prepares a novel, a painter must prepare an allegorical picture. One mustn't rush into these things. Immersing myself in historical research and studying images that might help me spark narratives is at the forefront of my practice.
The subject matter of my allegorical works relies on this research. In these paintings, a narrative is created through character, set and setting. The various totems presented in the paintings change meaning and create dialogue through their juxtaposition.
My education has taught me to focus on researching aesthetics and modes of painting. The narrative allegory created in the content of the painting must be supported by the way in which it is painted. The way in which things are painted and the handling of the medium is often overlooked in favor of the subject matter, but more often than not, the way in which it is painted enhances the emotional climate of the painting.
Sometimes, my pictures begin with a search for aesthetics. For example, the quality of pictures that I use as references might have a unique position of the figures in space. The aesthetics of the image seeds the composition and begins the narrative. I spend a considerable amount of time mining these images from various sources including books and archives, including my own photographs.
Oftentimes I find an image striking enough to make it the underpinning of the painting. This might appear counterintuitive considering the amount of research that can precede a painting, but there are certain images such as a photograph of a foreign land or a candid photo that can inform my process. When the rest of the painting is conceived and assembled, it creates new layers of meaning that can surprise even me.
