Limits

Charcoal, conte crayon, and oil on masonite

52" x 47"

2006

$550

In math, a function is said to have a limit as it approaches infinity if it yields the same value regardless of the way the input approaches infinity. The boxes in this piece represent that notion. They represent views from different perspectives and their sides converge in unexpected ways, yet they all show the same blue on the far side.

My initial sketch for this piece consisted solely of boxes; there was no portrait involved. Upon painting it, however, I realized that the boxes alone didn’t make for a very interesting piece. I added the portrait in a moment of frustration, thinking that I would just forego the box idea completely and turn the whole piece into a sour looking self portrait. When I returned to the studio, I decided to merge the two images, and I eventually ended up with a portrait painted within the boxes.

I feel that the portrait represents a limit in a human sense - It came about as a response to having reached a limit, and it’s confined within certain boundaries. This piece ended up being a representation of a mathematical limit with a representation of a human limit superimposed on top of it.

Silent Dilemma

Ink and charcoal on paper

24" x 36"

2007

Not for sale

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  This seems to be the most Valentiney piece I have.  

This piece was the result of a unique challenge to create a self-portrait in the image of someone else while reading your favorite book and eating your favorite food.  I chose to do mine in the image of Clara Bow, a silent film actress of the '20s.  The book is Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities, and the food is chocolate cake.  The text says "But Darling, it could destroy us!"

Major Minor Discord

Oil on wooden door

30" x 95"

2008

$600

This piece merges the image of a piano with images of a city.  The missing piano keys on the left side form a major chord, while the missing keys on the right form a minor chord.  The skyscrapers in the foreground are simplified versions of famous buildings from around the world, and the structures in the background are modeled after a shanty-town in India.  

     The focus of the piece is the dichotomy between the "majority" and the "minority."  The majority is symbolized by the skyscrapers in the foreground.  The skyscrapers are white monoliths representing commerce and capitalism.  The background of colorful, pieced together homes represents the minority.  The juxtaposition, the coloring, and the relative scales of the buildings allude to the fact that "minorities" actually constitute a majority of the population in many cases, though their interests are generally overruled by the "majority."

     The skyscrapers/piano keys in the foreground have a layer of Galkyd  on them which gives them a glossy appearance.  From most angles, the gloss makes them stand out from the rest of the piece.  I chose not to show the reflection of light on the gloss in this picture, since it makes it difficult to make out the details below it.