My work attempts to treat painting as a gradual, deliberative experience, both for myself and for the viewer. Most of the paintings begin as simple still lifes, based upon ordinary objects in my studio and home. Painting mute, inert forms within a shallow space enables me to pose and attempt to answer specific questions about painting and experience.
I work slowly on several pieces simultaneously. The images change over time as my painting process is invaded by memories, history, current events, books I’m reading, or simply an overheard phrase. The original forms disintegrate and transform through the painting process; the image unfolds through scraping, cutting, peeling, editing, layering, and repainting. As time passes, each painting responds to others around it in the studio. I often remove paintings from their support midway through the process. This enables me to further experiment with deconstructing and reconstructing images.
Since 2016 I’ve been working mainly in black, white, and neutrals. This has allowed me to explore such elements as surface, line, and form more deeply, without the distraction of color.