After graduating from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1988 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, I worked primarily as an illustrator for an impressive list of clients, some of which include: The Museum of Science and Industry, Scott Foresman, Illinois State Lottery, AT&T, Ameritech, and a regular contributor of illustrations to the Chicago Tribune. Concurrently, I continued to paint, experimenting with many styles and techniques.
In 1998 I accepted a full time position with Met Merchandising Concepts. Primarily a fixture and display company, Met also produced original artwork for sale to large department stores such as Marshall Field’s, Nordstom and Saks Fifth Avenue. The art produced ranged from traditional images of urns and still lifes to very contemporary abstract collages that utilized a variety of media. The experience of working at Met reactivated my passion for painting, and I produced a substantial number of paintings that have an affinity with early 20th century painters. While primarily abstract, the human figure is always present, just reinterpreted. These paintings have been exhibited in a number of Chicago area galleries such as Cain Gallery, Galleria Concord, Michael Taylor and Johnathon. I have also been part of numerous group shows at the Center on Halsted as well as a solo exhibition.
The paintings I have created over the past couple of years deal with issues of flux, the transitory and chance occurrence. They are inspired by combinations of images that I have photographed or found, assembled together and manipulated. Regardless of the subject the image takes on a transformative quality. They are simultaneously in a state of deterioration and metamorphosis. For me, the liquefied image creates a surreal alteration of the subject that invites other metaphoric interpretations.
In 1998 I accepted a full time position with Met Merchandising Concepts. Primarily a fixture and display company, Met also produced original artwork for sale to large department stores such as Marshall Field’s, Nordstom and Saks Fifth Avenue. The art produced ranged from traditional images of urns and still lifes to very contemporary abstract collages that utilized a variety of media. The experience of working at Met reactivated my passion for painting, and I produced a substantial number of paintings that have an affinity with early 20th century painters. While primarily abstract, the human figure is always present, just reinterpreted. These paintings have been exhibited in a number of Chicago area galleries such as Cain Gallery, Galleria Concord, Michael Taylor and Johnathon. I have also been part of numerous group shows at the Center on Halsted as well as a solo exhibition.
The paintings I have created over the past couple of years deal with issues of flux, the transitory and chance occurrence. They are inspired by combinations of images that I have photographed or found, assembled together and manipulated. Regardless of the subject the image takes on a transformative quality. They are simultaneously in a state of deterioration and metamorphosis. For me, the liquefied image creates a surreal alteration of the subject that invites other metaphoric interpretations.
