Artist statement
18 years after graduating from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. I decided to try the Surrealist techniques of automatic drawing. The decision was to break into free association adding another dimension on my work from observation. This lead to making larger works on paper in acrylic with automatic drawings as a starting point and a figure or portrait included with them. The series has fluctuated between non-objective and figurative imagery.
Recycled materials supports such as cardboard and plastic bags with irregular perimeters and surfaces were introduced with this imagery. The bumpy material selection is an aid in the chance interactions with a brush. My rough marks and rough surfaces create a total unified experience.
The choice of trash as source material, is part of a need to reduce waste in the consumer culture of the United States. Reducing waste in my artistic practice is one small step that can lead to future environmental improvements.
