Life:
I was born and raised in Manhattan, and have been involved in art since I was a child. I majored in Painting at the High School of Music & Art in New York City and subsequently received a BA in Fine Arts from the City College of New York. After moving to Tennessee many years later, I earned an MFA in Painting and an MA in Art History from East Tennessee State University. Currently, I am a Professor of Art at Jackson State Community College in Western Tennessee.
Painting:
My work, which is expressionistic in nature, is based on my personal experiences, thoughts, dreams, ideas, and whims. My natural mode of working is to pour out a somewhat stream-of-consciousness series of images that I edit and refine as the work evolves. The images which result from this method reflect bits and pieces of my own experience, synthesized from my memories of the world around me.
Although my work is usually figurative, it is not necessarily naturalistic. In many pieces I combine images and merge diverse elements by placing one scene within another. Landscapes may wander through structures or human forms; faces may appear hidden in the trees or clouds. Natural and man-made structures are sometimes fused to create multiple spaces, each with its own perspective, into which I hope the viewer will take the time to enter.
Beyond my personal identity and immediate culture, I am concerned with those elements and experiences common to all humanity, and often seek to express the spiritual through my art. My work focuses on the human condition and dwells on the metaphysical. As it reflects my own journey, I hope it also expresses experiences that are common and accessible to all. I offer my paintings as a point of departure for the viewer’s own associations and interpretations.