Portfolio > Portfolio III-Wood Works 2014-2017

If you walk up and down alleys you will come across many things.
In the summer of 2013 I began to find renewed appreciation for all of the discarded ,decayed and things in disrepair I was finding. I had always been fond of dilapidated buildings and abandon structures .As a kid growing up in the 70s and 80s these places were often my playgrounds. I felt oddly at home in places where there were seemingly no rules and that I knew I was not supposed to be. As I reflected on interesting scraps of alley detritus that I began to bring home I couldn't help but imagine the life and purpose that these things had once served. In many ways these things mirrored myself especially in the way which ,neglected for so long that it was hard to see the truth and the purpose of my life. In many of these works my painting process began with a knife, a hammer or screwdriver. Scraping and tearing out chunks of wood and was often seen as a violent and aggressive style of painting but, it was actually a my attempt to escape, to let the sun shine into my eyes again and to breathe...I guess one can call it catharsis . These days I still walk through the alleys and I still have such a fondness for "junk" I see it for its worn beauty and I give a nod as I pass by..