Statement
For the last several years, all my work has derived from a set of configurations I refer to as “the parents.” Each a kind of simple bifurcation pattern, the configurations serve as basic units which, when repeated numerous times, rotated at various angles, and overlaid on each other, form the complex compositions in my Inscape Series. Restricting my composing process to these structures alone ensures that no matter how irregular and chaotic the arrangements become, there is always an implicit order within them. Moreover, while all the compositions have their own unique features, a certain family resemblance remains discernible among them.
Bifurcations, like many of the organic patterns we might call fractal archetypes, are ubiquitous in nature. From the branching structures of trees and roots to the vascular system of the human body to the single human brain cell, nature is replete with this highly efficient means of distribution. This constancy across scales, in addition to the structures’ inherent beauty, draws me to bifurcations and keeps me in their thrall. There is also something about two-ness that resonates deeply with my worldview, which is that of a dual-aspect monism.
Over the last few months I’ve begun a new sub-series of Inscapes introducing a new material into my practice: graphite powder. The void – or puncture – having long been my primary mark, the addition of the graphite powder, which gets rubbed into and around the holes, brings the work a new layer of visual richness. Occasionally, the graphite powder covers the entire surface of the mat board substrate, creating a shimmering field of deep black. The interplay between the darkness of the graphite and the pristine white of the mat board further deepens my exploration of two-ness.
While my composing process shares something of the reductivism of much systems-based art, my aesthetic decisions are ultimately governed by deeply internal promptings. No piece is considered finished until it evokes in me a rich sense of mystery and humility, something that registers as a kind of somatic resonance with the unknown.
