I make paintings and drawings portraying powerful figures intertwined with American history, heroism, myth and culture. This group addresses the concept of Manifest Destiny through the form and metaphor of late-20th century American figures and events - Theodore Roosevelt (the Warrior-Preacher naturalist and avowed Imperialist); Buffalo Bill (Western folk hero and killer of Native Americans and Buffalo alike); and The 'White City' (the symbolic World's Fair Columbian exposition in Chicago in 1893). The historical figures and events share virtuous and contemptible ideas and actions - the figures are not entirely heroic or evil, but some combination of the two. This grey area of morality is what I seek to represent - our history as a country. How do these figures that were exalted in the past (and some still in the present) reflect our own simultaneous combination of good and bad desires and actions? We are fascinated, repulsed and magnetically drawn to these figures who exert power for war and peace, personal gain and common good.

These paintings portray flawed heroes from an amalgamation of comic books, history and mythology. The figures share aspects of noble strength and genocidal brutality in their deeds and conquest.

The examination of the truth and virtue of these figures has an urgent voice within our contemporary society. Our culture embraces superheroes but we continue to resist examining these icons for deeper meaning and insight. My works are visual manifestations of the societal status of superheroes -- these characters and their stories have become secular mythology.  They are a uniquely American art form whose characters have acquired great significance. Artistically, there is a direct lineage from the muscular figures of Michelangelo to these pop heroes. From their mythological melting pot I like to draw (and paint) parallels within my work to contemporary and historical figures and similar narratives from different cultures. The figures are as flawed and inspiring as our own country is.

Formally, abstraction and realism are simultaneously present as gestural swaths of paint exist next to focused areas of representation. I seek an emotional response with this work; my goal is a vibration between imagery and the medium as a gripping, vibrant surface.

I created this series of work as an exploration of a figure who embodied attributes and contradictions exemplative of America – strength and courage in the face of unimaginable persecution; brashness, ego, and a desire for celebrity; and the ability above all to do amazing things. Our collective memory forgets his greatness as the first African-American champion. He was the Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World in a day when that title equated to the world's strongest and toughest man. For this man to be black was a cataclysmic paradigm shift for American society (and the white race worldwide). I sought through this work to explore - not only the beauty of the boxing ring and its heroic figures, but also the parallel fight and dance of making art, all intertwined within the imagery of the courage and failures of Jack Johnson. These are my explorations.

A book of drawings and mixed media work of my exploration of Jack Johnson, his time and environment, and the action and intensity of the boxing ring.

These pieces are finished sketches, but they are not complete works; they lack a certain expansion of concept, concentrating only upon a specific part or character in their world. They act as phrases; I believe they directly express a certain thought or idea, though they do not form a complete sentence. Still, the works get at whatever they attempt to express in a way that is sincere, precise and immediate. Some lead to or have been born from larger and/or more developed pieces, others exist as singular works. 

In relationship to my series depicting powerful figures intertwined with American history, heroism, myth and culture, I often start by drawing or painting figures in an attempt to extract an expression of form and concept. Some are relatively straightforward examinations of form. Some veer towards the abstract or fantastic in an attempt to get at a larger truth or mythology that has become truth. Some turn towards a formal study of material on the framework of image.

"The White City" was the title of the Columbian Exposition in 1893 of the 400th anniversary celebration of Europeans discovering the Americas. It was a glimmering, temporarily-built city of white plaster (meant to look like marble) that was neo-classical in architecture, meant to celebrate America's ascension on the world stage at the end of the 19th century. I chose this subject as a symbol of an American city - grand and powerful, posturing as an extension of ancient Rome while frail in its exterior of white. The city and its sideshow carnival of "otherness" serve as various metaphors for race, power, and the history of our country.

Within my studies of the White City and the powerful figures of Presidents and leaders, Theodore Roosevelt struck me as a particularly fascinating character. His great leadership as President included important military victories and a proprietary stewardship of our natural landscape, yet he was also an avowed Imperialist and acted accordingly.