Behind My Work

What my eyes see is transformed into images that you can see. But the important reality is what takes place in our common inner worlds. Each of these worlds depends on the other. There can’t be one set of eyes without the other. We all journey from the lower to the higher, from the outer to the inner, from death to life and from darkness to light…and the eyes are sometimes the gateway to this spiritual process.

There are pieces of art that have left the observer speechless. This work has somehow bridged the gap of time and allowed the artist to speak directly, soul to soul to the observer. The experience of art is beyond explanation; it is a moment of direct knowledge from artist to viewer. A bond is formed that is beyond the bounds of time. There is an instant reality, an instant moment of communication, a sacred knowledge that is simultaneously here and now and eternal.

There is a high purpose in this instantaneous recognition. It is what drives the artist to create, and is what the viewer is always looking for even though he may not notice that this purpose has almost nothing to do with money. Fame, reputation, and wealth are not the driving impulses behind serious art.

In much of modern thinking, art is often seen as a commodity. The art consumer buys art as an interior decoration or as an investment. The art dealer who runs a gallery makes a living by fostering the art as decoration, art as investment philosophy. This is my response to this product oriented approach.

My purpose in writing this statement is to outline my career as a working artist. I have always been mistrustful of the art gallery scene. I know that money, fame, and power fuel the gallery scene. I have not been part of this scene. My purpose in producing art has been twofold. I have developed the spiritual side of my being through my artworks, and I want to produce work that can have a strong effect on some viewers.