Why I make art
I am interested in transition—what it means to move on, leave, travel, and live in tension of grieving the past while living in the moment and taking on new adventures. I am interested in how time passes, and how we are all contained inside a finite cosmological physical force. I wonder at what it must be for an infinite being to exist outside of logic and constraints of time, and what it means to live in this world of transition and limitation as one who believes in a Being so other, and so spectacular.
My primary visual influences are Brooke Shaden, Magritte, and Kathe Kollwitz. Brooke Shaden’s surrealistic photographs captivate me because of the haunting imagery, poignant symbolism, and compositional excellence. Magritte’s surrealist paintings are conceptually deep and aesthetically beautiful; finding both in a series of works is a great gift. The German Expressionistic work of Kathe Kollwitz is stark, raw and real. Her drawings grab my attention because of the striking subject matter (World War II, trauma, grief, etc.), the use of moments of clarity next to moments of chaos, and her ways of capturing deep emotion with a mere drawing tool.
My primary literary influences are Mary Oliver, C.S. Lewis, T.S. Eliot, and My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok. I am consistently amazed by Mary Oliver’s ability to express the ineffable. Her poems are insightful, poignant, and remind me that I am never alone. C.S. Lewis’ theological and literary works bring together my existential concerns with a joyous love for language. T.S. Eliot also writes about growing old, existing in seemingly meaningless territory, wandering, and the crisis we all face whilst feeling lost in a sea of doubt. Particularly in his poem, The Waste Land, I feel understood while basking in the beauty of his words. Lastly, My Name is Asher Lev tells the story of a confused lad who loves drawing and struggles with the idea that his passion is not only obsolete, but also selfish. It is masterfully crafted, disturbingly raw, and deeply meaningful for all who are interested in World War II, the role of an artist, and feelings of being an outsider. Themes of wandering, being an outsider, and living in the tension of the unknown interest me. Literature pertaining to foundational philosophical concepts inspires me, because it attempts to express the ineffable.
I take photographs because I believe it is one of the most fundamental ways humans deal with transition. I write because certain words deserve to stay for a while. I paint because we seldom give due attention to objects and people and places that are actually very meaningful. I make art because I believe caring passionately is what we’re here to do.
