series
Topography
Topography came about from a desire to transform the gallery space into an environment that resonates with my influences as an artist. Thirty paintings were made specifically for the San Diego State University Jackson Gallery in an effort to create a space removed from the profane, everyday world. My painting process is intuitive, and involves unconventional manipulation of paint, glue, gesso and ink. Incompatible materials are mixed, layered and distressed using tools like T-shirts and hammers. Despite the intuitive nature of my process, the end product often references personal interests beyond visual arts; these are things that motivate me to paint. From molecular biology to barren lunar landscapes, I find myself drawn to the similarities between the micro and macro worlds. Topography may be interpreted as a psychological as well as physical map that the viewer chooses to enter. The walls of the gallery are filled with evidence of my struggles and experiments of the preceeding three months. The painting surfaces appear to be in a state of flux, or deconstruction, but are actually in a stable, frozen state, one that suggests the controlled chaos of my working process.
