Good art makes its observer care. I believe this includes craft, as technical skill itself can be interesting and even entrancing. Craft is the thing we physically do, the process we go through to give form to our artistic concepts. The concept is the art, and the artwork is the craft. I believe the most successful artists to be those who had a balance of both the inspiration called “genius” and the practical technical ability to express it. Geniuses the world over may even now be going unrecognized because of an inability or unwillingness to clearly express their ideas. In the same manner, the mass mediocrity of craft without originality is unfortunate, and desensitizing to those exposed to it daily. I attempt to gather the interest of any possible onlooker. Imagine a piece of art, just finished and still smelling of ink and the “sweat of one’s brow.” It is seen by a visiting friend, by the artist’s young niece, by a passerby on the street, by the publisher, the framer, the intern hanging it on the gallery wall, the critics, the casual visitors and the maintenance workers. An impression was made on each: some deeper, some less so. In any case, the artist’s stamp is left on every person it came into contact with. That is success. I believe that art is not for art’s sake, but for people’s sake, and that an artwork which questions itself is never as beneficial as one which questions anything else.
I am especially interested in the art of multi-layered storytelling. Every situation and expression in life may convey a different meaning to any single person, and I believe art does the same. A work of art, like a work of literature, is at its best when it works well on many levels. I seek to interpret this sort of expression into visual form. A worthy artwork to me is something like a mirror; it ought to be clear, but its message will be a reflection of anyone viewing it, despite their differences in moral systems, intellectual values or social traits. No person should be told how to react to a piece of art, any more than to another person. Therefore I prize a piece of art which can be freely interpreted while retaining meaning.
Most of my work is illustrative in nature, and borders on a “superillustrative” style, combining heavy rendering and comic strip style. My inspiration comes mainly from compositional ideas for scenes, and I am always looking for visually stimulating spatial divisions. My scene work makes use of strong diagonals and heavy foreshortening to give a sense of urgency. Another prevailing characteristic of my work is a heavy use of contrast, especially the use of sharply defined, dark figures on a light field. This contrast, combined with the heavy textural rendering to which I am inclined, often conveys a sense of contained decay. The beauty of line weights and ideal curves fascinates me, and my illustrative work provides dark candy for the eye.
For subject matter, I often turn to the stories of others. The endless spectrum of human experience is a rich field for artistic subjects, and any single set of circumstances can be approached by an equally infinite number of directions. The story is the most basic form of human communication, and I intend to make it a part of my career. I have found many different sources of inspiration. As a reader, I have always been interested in techniques for conveying situational moods. In our everyday lives, we are often influenced by a beautiful or depressing scene, but we are rarely given a true visual impression of subtler interpersonal emotions such as wit or horror. In the case of the latter, writers like Lovecraft are a great inspiration. I find that overwrought, obvious detail gives life to those larger concepts left to the imagination, especially in horror-based or humor-based work. I enjoy giving as much twisted and delicate detail as possible, encouraging the viewer to conceive of even finer and stranger detail, closing the mind in on itself until the sudden presentation of a larger question which leaves the viewer to his or her own imaginative devices. The power of the viewer to produce new thoughts regarding this world or the possibility of any other should not be underestimated.
In these cases, I tend toward a postmodernist approach. I feel that all art has some value; even poorly executed work can be reflected on. Certainly a piece of art which functions on a high level will have greater appeal to viewers. However, an expert audience may ruminate on the motivation behind “trash” art as easily as pop art, even though this was not the intention of the artist. I prefer to avoid limitations on artistic interpretation in this manner. As stated before, the finished product represents the artist’s craftsmanship, and this is what can be more objectively critiqued. The incorporation of multiple attitudes or points of view is important to me.
My approach to art-making has been described as a microcosmic construction. The first gestural composition, however, tends to be free and energetic. From there, patient work builds up fine, stark detail around the free-flowing line. It is my aim to thus prevent a traditional process of detailed rendering from becoming overly stiff. Exaggerated curves, edges and light sources add exaggerated life.
A skill I have always prized is the ability to predict and grasp a client’s preferences. One of the reasons I love creating art is the manipulation of the viewer’s (or buyer’s) reaction, and in commissioned art a simple description is usually enough for me to understand “just what [he or she] wanted,” yet another way in which interpersonal dialogue and response are important to my work. My motivation comes from the world around me, rather than from myself. Isolate me in the mountains, and I will continue doing art – but out of habit, rather than passion. My passion lies in stimulating the eyes and minds of others.
My plans for the future include work in innovative illustration or concept art, possibly for movies, books or games. I strongly support the continuation of traditional two-dimensional animation, and one of my dream projects is finding a way to successfully and easily animate rendered drawings. I am especially interested in visually translating subjects which have a basic appeal to all age groups, that special quality which makes a work into a classic.