The successes of my portraits come not only in the execution of the painting, but also in the connection to the viewer. When I first began exploring more unsettling characters, the eyes were the focus and always looked directly at the viewer. They were confrontational and forced the viewer to see and analyze these characters. Who are they? How do they fit into the neat little boxes you have created to make sense of your world? How do you feel in relation to this person?
In those paintings, the eyes were the most important piece. The eyes were the vehicles for the message. They were the confrontation and the connection. They were the human aspect and the entry for contemplation of the painting.
I now realize that the lack of eyes can entrance and connect with the viewer as well, but in a different way. My other paintings forced the viewer to interact and connect. I now find myself experimenting with new figures by painting what seem like bottomless sockets where eyes should exist. It is interesting to find that with this characteristic, viewers actually search for that connection, even with uncomfortable subject matter, if not for anything other than morbid curiosity. The series is called Family Portraits, but they are missing their identity. If they eyes are the windows to the soul, then who are they?
My paintings are large-scale oil and charcoal paintings. I enjoy the raw color of linen and often leave my paintings somewhat unfinished. For me, once the important areas of information are given, the rest is decoration. It is simultaneously finished and unfinished. Excluding the eyes expands on the question of what is actually necessary in order to express my concept.
The inspiration for my entire body of work began with my fascination with Èdouard Manet. His painting style and avant-garde subject matter changed my thought process in painting. I am also in debt to Alice Neel and Marlene Dumas who have both mastered the art of, what I call, “finished/unfinished.” Studying these artists has helped me find my path in my original concept and techniques, but I am fascinated with why we are the way we are and how the mind works. It is a strange thing. I want to tell people a story. I want to tell people’s stories. I will give you some information, but not everything. Who do you think they are?