"the artist of the future shall be a colourist such that the world has never witnessed before"
Vincent Van Gogh
In an attempt to make that prophecy come true, I have combined sculpture, oil paint, and bold, vibrant colors to create a style of painting that spans the gap between realism and abstract art. I personally feel that such a bridge is important to any artist who wishes to make an impact on today's art world. I think we have reached a point where abstract art has become the norm and has even become a stereotype of art. As a result , the shock value it once carried is often replaced by disinterest by those who do not understand it or find it unappealing. In order for an artist to make a statement with his work, someone has to see and want to pay attention to that message. We have reached a point where the freedoms created by the abstract movement must be combined with some of the structures of realism to create works that are inviting and yet, at the same, time challenging to its audience.
Color is the essence of my artwork and, in order to enable me to be totally free to use color, I have developed a style employing silhouettes. These silhouettes create a contrast which offsets the colors in the painting and allows me the freedom to be as intense as I feel necessary with the colors. In addition, I employ lots of negative space within my paintings which allows me to limit value changes within the individual colors. As a result, I am able to use large bold areas of color which magnifies the contrast between those colors. Also, in order to maintain that contrast, as well as include detail, I have developed a method of using sculpture within the painting to render the silhouettes in a three-dimensional manner. This, in turn, creates a depth that the use of negative space often prevented me from showing. It also allows me to expand my choices of subject matter while maintaining the same style throughout my work.
As I stated earlier, I feel that my work represents a bridge between abstract art and realism. In most cases, I stay close to the form and structure of my subject matter. However, I take great liberties with the color in my paintings. I generally use no more than seven basic colors in my paintings and I mix them directly from the tubes onto the canvas. I feel that this allows me to be spontaneous and let the painting develop intuitively rather than trying to force it into some preconceived box. Also, I use heavy brush strokes and an impasto style to suggest movement and further create depth within the painting.
While Vincent Van Gogh is the artist whose influence is reflected most in my actual visual style, I have many other philosophical influences. These include, but are not limited to, Paul Gauguin, Leonardo Da Vinci, Salvador Dali, Jackson Pollock, and Pablo Piccasso. I think it is very important for an artist to be like a sponge and soak up whatever knowledge is available to them. I feel that it is essential in order to grow as an artist to avoid becoming "comfortable" and instead to always be willing to experiment and challenge oneself artistically and mentally.
