Artist Statement

While the art world continues to debate about the death of painting, contemporary painters continue to work in a tradition that spans centuries. These artists continue to innovate by building on that tradition and embracing the craft of painting. Great paintings from any era will engage the viewer conceptually, while also retaining the ability to speak to the viewer using this visual language, much like the structure and forms of music: visual rhythms, notes, syncopation, melodies, harmonies, and so on. In essence, the representational aspects of a painting convey a conceptual, literal and metaphorical meaning, and the abstract aspects of a painting convey a visual, intuitive and emotive meaning. Thinking this way, and considering a Western painting tradition that has explored extremes in both representation and abstraction, one could conclude that much of contemporary painting is an attempt to reconcile the competing and yet inseparable aspects of representation and abstraction, of intellect and emotion.