“Modern Myths and Ancient Fables”
It seems that most of the people I meet have interesting stories to share. I have found that in order to hear a good story a person needs only to tell one. It is this exchange of individual perceptions and reflections that make their stories so fascinating.
Curiosity and desire to hear and share a good story draws me to people as well as to art. The more I engage in this activity the more engaging it becomes; each story suggesting another and still another. It is also interesting to hear a familiar story repeated over time; while the main elements of these narratives remain relatively unchanged the listener and the narrator often adjust and adapt the stories to illustrate and conform to the individual needs of the moment. This is often the case in the dialogue created between my art and myself. Each retelling of a story or reworking of a painting becomes more self-reveling. Specific visual elements are the clues that when reflected upon, help to unravel and give form to internalized conflicts and mysteries.
I am fortunate to have someone special in my life. My wife Janelle has inspired me to shift my priorities and see beyond my specific personal needs. This body of work, “Modern Myths and Ancient Fables” began over a decade ago and still seems recent to me. As in the way stories evolve and suggest other stories each new artwork seems to suggest and lead to the next artwork. The work has shifted from being suggestively narrative to being more clearly allegorical. I feel the new work is more inclusive and universal in content. The viewer is invited to become more than a spectator. The outcome of the event depicted is to be completed within the viewer's imagination.
