These works integrate photographic imagery with painting and drawing, and thus I view them primarily as original paintings and works on paper, rather than photographs, per sé. In terms of process, these works are inspired by Pop-era artists such as Andy Warhol and Robert Rauschenberg, who utilized photo-silkscreen printing in the context of painting. As I see it, the chief difference between my work and theirs is the content; while Warhol and Rauschenberg largely re-contextualized appropriated photographic imagery, I choose to utilize only original photographs which are relevant to my personal life experiences in some way.
Another principal difference between this work and that of these Pop-era artists is technical. These pop artists of the 1960’s repurposed commercial screen-printing, which was a widely-used commercial process at the time, while my Photoconstructs employ digital printing, which has now become the de-facto means of production for most of today’s visual media. I employ specialized primers which allow me to print directly on the painted surfaces.
I also count Abstract Expressionist painters such as Jackson Pollock and Clyfford Still among my influences, which may be evident in the loosely painted grounds which serve as underpaintings which interact with the photographic layer.
My undergraduate training is in Painting, while my graduate studies led me to a MFA in Digital Art. The combination of these two disciplines are evident in the production of these works, which I use to document a narrative of my life’s journey.
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Works from the Photoconstruct series can be viewed here: Paintings | Works on Paper | Mixed Media | Prints