Why abstract art?

Modern Art is in terms from the artist. “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

Modern Art or Modernism is the loose term given to the succession of styles and movements in art and architecture which dominated Western culture from 19th Century up until the 1960’s. Movements associated with Modern art include Impressionism, Cubism, Bauhaus, Surrealism, Futurism, Pop Art and Op Art.

Modern Art rejects the past as a model for the art of the present and is characterised by constant innovation. Modern Art grew out of the Impressionist's rejection of the 'imitation of life' school of art. Their emphasis on the act of painting, on the paint itself, can be seen in the Expressionist and Cubist art of the turn-of-the-century.

Modern art was also often driven by various social and political agendas. These were often utopian, and modernism was in general associated with ideal visions of human life and society and a belief in progress.

From the 1970’s artists and movements began to react against Modernism and post-modernism was formed.
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Modern Art is the term given to the succession of styles and movements in art and architecture which dominated Western culture from 19th Century up until the 1960’s. Movements associated with Modern art include Impressionism, Cubism, Bauhaus, Surrealism, Futurism, Pop Art and Op Art.

From my observation , art like this usually receives one of three reactions—

1. This is incredible. Wow. Much meaning. So thoughtful.
2. Cool. It is…cool, I guess.
3. This is so dumb. My four year old sister could’ve painted this..

All three of these responses are true.

There is a lot of meaning, derived from the artist’s own personal stories. And, their thought process. Most modern artists are actually traditionally trained and have produced vast bodies of fine art before the work which they’re ‘known for.’ Only after learning the rules did they start breaking them, in turn creating ‘modern art.’

If you don’t care too much about art but just kind of accept it as a thing that exists and is a part of our world, then perhaps that it exists is arguably the greatest joy of all.

Your four year old sister probably could’ve painted it without thinking much about it. This is the purest form of art, its untainted by the constructs of our society, purest to what our minds actually see before the world changes it. Picasso was a big subscriber to this thought.
Every child is an artist. The dilemma is how can you can remain an artist once we grow up.

It took me many years to paint like an artist, but a lifetime to paint like a child.

Feb 2015

It’s a well known fact that paintings and art, in general, are inherently subjective things. Sure, we can talk about “famous” art, but fame does not equal quality; at the end of the day, all talks about the best or worst art of any kind come down to one basic question: what IS art anyway? No one has the definite answer.

We don't need to know exactly what the artwork is supposed to be about in order to feel a deep appreciation for it.



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Of course, it is my job only to paint it, not to interpret it. Let the critic or curator figure out what it means.

As my personal history and culture are my life’s foundation, each layer I paint on a canvas becomes the history of its surface. These layers accumulate and influence, yet not always overtly. Like sediment, they build. By mixing the acrylic paint with water and gloss medium to make a thin wash, the translucent quality of top layers reveal aspects of the painting’s history. At other times, a thick impasto hides the past. Yet it is there beneath the surface and has had its influence nonetheless.

My creative process begins directly or indirectly in order to build a foundation or background underlying the final art work. Toning or layering color wet into wet may be followed by automatic drawing as two of the layers. An intuitive approach begins to take hold when more layers of paper, objects, words, combine with paint, and lines leading me from ideas and images as they appear to a serendipitous final result.

My intention is to explore what lies beneath my life experiences to arrive at the truth of those experiences. Understanding past historical human experience provides me with a better understanding of my own life experiences in relationship to other people. There is a greater truth to seek that is universal. I hope to utilize that universality as a way to reach other people and share my experiences of family, personal relationships, faith, and what lies beyond.

Bringing chaos to order and bringing all the fragments together to make a whole drives my need to create. If I don’t create something I do not feel whole.

I am interested in what lies beneath to make us whole. My journey has evolved to creating an art that reveals the underlying meaning and truth of the human condition especially as it relates to our world. I want to discover the unknown. Getting lost in the moment of creation and expressing who I am, how I feel, and think is very freeing. I want to share my passages of life and encourage others to discover who they are and what’s important to them. As my painting is done in layers so is my life done in layers. My peeling of the ‘onion’ helps me to understand human beings and the universe just a little bit more.

"We need to create our own definition of success and persevere in our vision, knowing this is what we do and there is a place for it in the world. Not everyone will love it. But the world being as big and diverse as it is, somebody will!"

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