My work is created by mining an array of sourced imagery that is manipulated to form otherworldly and sometimes impossible scenarios. The paintings originate by pulling imagery from internet ads, cell phone pictures taken in the studio, stock art, and stills from YouTube videos. Source material is broken apart and layered together in photoshop where these “mash ups” of sorts are formed, then eventually through editing and experimentation, I hope to find a way for these sometimes disparate elements to live together and redefine themselves. I’m interested in what happens when the narrative elements within the painting become obscured, or when there is not quite enough information to put together a cohesive storyline. The ultimate objective is that viewer is inspired to examine the environment within the painting more carefully and come up with their own perspective of what is happening within the work. Through this process I am trying to blur boundaries and explore the distinction between abstraction and representation, fantasy and dystopia, the everyday and the absurd.
The works below are primarily airbrushed acrylic on canvas and are created using a combination of hand cut / machine cut stencils. My practice relies greatly on the use of the airbrush and I draw an endless amount of inspiration from its use in car culture, vintage print advertising, and fantasy art.