I am a shop rat. My father is an automotive paint and body man by trade; consequently I grew up quite literally in the shop. My first in-depth interaction with the use of material, shape, form, and volume resulted from direct contact with automobiles. A meticulous craftsman, my father awed me with his ability to control material, achieving purely seductive finishes that literally made you want to reach out and touch them. I credit him for my love of cars and motorcycles as a visual language, as well as my technical skill set.
Sculpturally, my work began with a genuine interest in using this skill set in a vastly different way. The field of art, new to me at the time, encouraged use of material vigorously without any of the constraints of utility. This freedom allowed the act of doing to transcend technical ability, stretching the preconceptions of material into a way of investigating and describing culture. Through the work of artists like Rueben Ortiz-Torres and his custom culture derived objects, it quickly became clear that through appropriation and use of material, sculpture had the potential to communicate sensually in an in-depth way as a curious alternative to written or spoken word. Through my engagement with automotive and motorcycle culture and the use of the technical skill set inherent to them I create a platform in which to explore contemporary issues and describe them visually through material. This engagement ultimately leads to the exploration of what it means to be a young, reckless male navigating through contemporary culture with high art interests and a low brow upbringing.
Visually, my work is seemingly very formal and minimal. Though I appreciate the pointed material and aesthetic qualities of both formalism and minimalism, I strive to find a balance in my work materially and conceptually, where my material choices almost become metaphors and embody the intended concept. As alchemists attempted passionately to turn common metals into gold, I strive for a balance where the viewer is equally intrigued by use of material as well its ability to provoke thought. More specifically, I seek how the use of material can invoke instinctual reaction and emotion. Human ingrained conditions such as curiosity, desire and fear have become a large point of interest within my practice. The slick seductive finish of automotive urethane invokes desire; the uncanny use of material creates a strong sense of curiosity. The product, usually a three dimensional object becomes a catalyst for thought through pointed material choices.