The Yeti

The next Pop Expressionist exhibit is scheduled for January 2009 at Vintage 21, Raleigh, NC



Artist Statement – Pop Expressionism

Labeling myself a Pop Expressionist originates from the two movements that have most influenced my art, Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art. Several artist have been labeled Pop Expressionist including Sam Messer, Richard Hambleton and Jim Dine however, the term is loosely defined.

My earliest influences were works by Abstract Expressionists such as Jackson Pollock. I’d like to claim I let the paint thoughtfully drip but to be honest, I'm just sloppy. Franz Kline's black lines are also evident in my work. In fact, I continually try to make my black lines thicker and more Klinier.

The influence of the second movement, Pop Art, is perhaps more obvious. The easily recognizable symbols and carton quality of Keith Haring’s work, as well as the cardboard cutout style of Red Grooms, is evident.

It is the combination of the expressive flow of the paint with the whimsical, stylistic characters that I believe give Pop Expressionism is uniqueness.

I enjoy shopping at hardware stores over art supply shops, so the media for my work tends to lean heavily on industrial materials. My choice of media is predominantly house paint on installation foam or cardboard.

Beneath the initial playful, quirkiest of theses works, are a few hidden metaphors. Each of the creatures is breaking, falling or hanging on to, the frame, which represents the traditional view of art. Some of my characters are trying desperately to free themselves and join the world or street and urban art. Others are clinging on dearly, hoping they will be accepted for what they have been created to be.