I’m an artist and I focus on painting change I was a teenager when the Getty
change I was a teenager when the Getty
change I was a teenager when the Getty opened in Los Angeles and my uncle and
opened in Los Angeles and my uncle and
opened in Los Angeles and my uncle and father took me there I still remember
father took me there I still remember
father took me there I still remember walking down the galleries with mild
walking down the galleries with mild
walking down the galleries with mild interest until I came upon the
interest until I came upon the
interest until I came upon the impressionist pieces I walked right up
impressionist pieces I walked right up
impressionist pieces I walked right up to one of them this is Claude Monet’s a
to one of them this is Claude Monet’s a
to one of them this is Claude Monet’s a detail of his wheat stacks snow effect
detail of his wheat stacks snow effect
detail of his wheat stacks snow effect morning 1891 I could see the texture all
morning 1891 I could see the texture all
morning 1891 I could see the texture all I could see was a the painting the
I could see was a the painting the
I could see was a the painting the details the brushstrokes the juxtaposed
details the brushstrokes the juxtaposed
details the brushstrokes the juxtaposed color it was a vivid experience and when
color it was a vivid experience and when
color it was a vivid experience and when I took a couple steps back the painting
I took a couple steps back the painting
I took a couple steps back the painting changed a couple more steps back
changed a couple more steps back
changed a couple more steps back painting changed again it was the same
painting changed again it was the same
painting changed again it was the same painting but somehow different somehow I
painting but somehow different somehow I
painting but somehow different somehow I was interacting with the piece which at
was interacting with the piece which at
was interacting with the piece which at the time seemed impossible kept taking
the time seemed impossible kept taking
the time seemed impossible kept taking steps back into us in the back of the
steps back into us in the back of the
steps back into us in the back of the gallery and walking forward I realized
gallery and walking forward I realized
gallery and walking forward I realized later on that this was a very profound
later on that this was a very profound
later on that this was a very profound experience for me and led to me deciding
experience for me and led to me deciding
experience for me and led to me deciding to buy start a kit of oils and start the
to buy start a kit of oils and start the
to buy start a kit of oils and start the painting one night turned into two per
painting one night turned into two per
painting one night turned into two per week two three until I was painting
week two three until I was painting
week two three until I was painting almost every night I was really into
almost every night I was really into
almost every night I was really into painting studying at UC San Diego I was
painting studying at UC San Diego I was
painting studying at UC San Diego I was taking courses in psychology and
taking courses in psychology and
taking courses in psychology and chemistry no art classes at all but I
chemistry no art classes at all but I
chemistry no art classes at all but I would go into the art studio late at
would go into the art studio late at
would go into the art studio late at night where I could be alone and focus
night where I could be alone and focus
night where I could be alone and focus on process of painting the results
on process of painting the results
on process of painting the results weren’t that great but I enjoyed the
weren’t that great but I enjoyed the
weren’t that great but I enjoyed the process and there was nobody there to
process and there was nobody there to
process and there was nobody there to tell me that it was wrong at some point
tell me that it was wrong at some point
tell me that it was wrong at some point I had an epiphany I realized that I
I had an epiphany I realized that I
I had an epiphany I realized that I would rather pursue my inspiration then
would rather pursue my inspiration then
would rather pursue my inspiration then wake up one day regretting that I had
wake up one day regretting that I had
wake up one day regretting that I had never taken that risk so I bit the
never taken that risk so I bit the
never taken that risk so I bit the bullet I quit my job in science research
bullet I quit my job in science research
bullet I quit my job in science research and enrolled in art school move
and enrolled in art school move
and enrolled in art school move to San Francisco and I can’t say it was
to San Francisco and I can’t say it was
to San Francisco and I can’t say it was an easy period 15 years later but here I
an easy period 15 years later but here I
an easy period 15 years later but here I am still doing what I love every day my
am still doing what I love every day my
am still doing what I love every day my recent paintings focus on moments of
recent paintings focus on moments of
recent paintings focus on moments of change and these moments of change
change and these moments of change
change and these moments of change reflect a larger scope of time and
reflect a larger scope of time and
reflect a larger scope of time and hopefully meaning start off by exploring
hopefully meaning start off by exploring
hopefully meaning start off by exploring cycle of psychological concepts in two
cycle of psychological concepts in two
cycle of psychological concepts in two dimensions using drawings and I combine
dimensions using drawings and I combine
dimensions using drawings and I combine drawings with photographs to create
drawings with photographs to create
drawings with photographs to create something new and inevitably there’s
something new and inevitably there’s
something new and inevitably there’s going to be a conflict and the painting
going to be a conflict and the painting
going to be a conflict and the painting becomes about resolving that conflict
becomes about resolving that conflict
becomes about resolving that conflict and hopefully an interesting and
and hopefully an interesting and
and hopefully an interesting and meaningful way I use abstraction along
meaningful way I use abstraction along
meaningful way I use abstraction along with realism realistic techniques to
with realism realistic techniques to
with realism realistic techniques to kind of make the painting more vivid and
kind of make the painting more vivid and
kind of make the painting more vivid and provide a sense of mystery and maybe
provide a sense of mystery and maybe
provide a sense of mystery and maybe leave a little bit less explained
abstraction as well as expressive
abstraction as well as expressive brushstrokes part of my work and I find
brushstrokes part of my work and I find
brushstrokes part of my work and I find when you take when combining imagery
when you take when combining imagery
when you take when combining imagery together and you take figure out of its
together and you take figure out of its
together and you take figure out of its element and put it into something new
element and put it into something new
element and put it into something new the meaning changes and sometimes the
the meaning changes and sometimes the
the meaning changes and sometimes the meaning is ambiguous and I think that’s
meaning is ambiguous and I think that’s
meaning is ambiguous and I think that’s a good thing the drawings make their way
a good thing the drawings make their way
a good thing the drawings make their way to layers upon layers of thick paint
to layers upon layers of thick paint
to layers upon layers of thick paint applied on top of stencils which I make
applied on top of stencils which I make
applied on top of stencils which I make and every layer responds to the previous
and every layer responds to the previous
and every layer responds to the previous layer so the painting is really about
layer so the painting is really about
layer so the painting is really about that process of discovering and forming
that process of discovering and forming
that process of discovering and forming something new and because of that every
something new and because of that every
something new and because of that every painting is different
painting is different
painting is different this one has some pixelation which
this one has some pixelation which
this one has some pixelation which references digital photography and our
references digital photography and our
references digital photography and our social media age and counter-intuitively
social media age and counter-intuitively
social media age and counter-intuitively actually makes the painting more
actually makes the painting more
actually makes the painting more painterly also surprisingly geometry and
painterly also surprisingly geometry and
painterly also surprisingly geometry and hard edged shapes can facilitate
hard edged shapes can facilitate
hard edged shapes can facilitate movement
duchamp’s nude descending a staircase
duchamp’s nude descending a staircase number two is a big inspiration here
number two is a big inspiration here
number two is a big inspiration here also referencing film in these paintings
also referencing film in these paintings
also referencing film in these paintings as movement is signaling maybe a bigger
as movement is signaling maybe a bigger
as movement is signaling maybe a bigger symbolism movement in one’s life aspects
symbolism movement in one’s life aspects
symbolism movement in one’s life aspects of memory foresight into the future
of memory foresight into the future
of memory foresight into the future personal identity and I always think
personal identity and I always think
personal identity and I always think about the audience every step of the way
about the audience every step of the way
about the audience every step of the way how the viewer can enter in the painting
how the viewer can enter in the painting
how the viewer can enter in the painting and interact so I leave some parts
and interact so I leave some parts
and interact so I leave some parts unfinished and mysterious so that the
unfinished and mysterious so that the
unfinished and mysterious so that the viewer can draw their own conclusions
viewer can draw their own conclusions
viewer can draw their own conclusions and I’d encourage you all here today to
and I’d encourage you all here today to
and I’d encourage you all here today to think about what you can bring to the
think about what you can bring to the
think about what you can bring to the table think about how you can be active
table think about how you can be active
table think about how you can be active viewers right
by engaging in the process and thinking
by engaging in the process and thinking about art is something that you can
about art is something that you can
about art is something that you can interact with you could have a more
interact with you could have a more
interact with you could have a more profound experience and you don’t have
profound experience and you don’t have
profound experience and you don’t have to be an artist to engage in art work
to be an artist to engage in art work
to be an artist to engage in art work take a few steps back take a few steps
take a few steps back take a few steps
take a few steps back take a few steps forward interact with the art think
forward interact with the art think
forward interact with the art think about what the piece means to you so
about what the piece means to you so
about what the piece means to you so that leads us to this painting over here
that leads us to this painting over here
that leads us to this painting over here which won’t be finished here today I’m
which won’t be finished here today I’m
which won’t be finished here today I’m going to remove the tape but it’ll be
going to remove the tape but it’ll be
going to remove the tape but it’ll be pretty close what I’ve done is covered
pretty close what I’ve done is covered
pretty close what I’ve done is covered the figure and some of the surrounding
the figure and some of the surrounding
the figure and some of the surrounding areas with tape and applied paint and
areas with tape and applied paint and
areas with tape and applied paint and the reason I use these hard edged shapes
the reason I use these hard edged shapes
the reason I use these hard edged shapes from masking tape or stencils is to
from masking tape or stencils is to
from masking tape or stencils is to create a disparity between depth so
create a disparity between depth so
create a disparity between depth so things will move forward and move back
things will move forward and move back
things will move forward and move back in a dynamic way sometimes with
in a dynamic way sometimes with
in a dynamic way sometimes with conflicts and I feel like this call the
conflicts and I feel like this call the
conflicts and I feel like this call the conflicts really help the process of
conflicts really help the process of
conflicts really help the process of painting and make the piece more
painting and make the piece more
painting and make the piece more energetic and also may be useful for the
energetic and also may be useful for the
energetic and also may be useful for the viewer to access so the viewers can
viewer to access so the viewers can
viewer to access so the viewers can actually see the different layers right
actually see the different layers right
actually see the different layers right you can actually interact with the piece
you can actually interact with the piece
you can actually interact with the piece and the hope is that when people look at
and the hope is that when people look at
and the hope is that when people look at my finished work they’ll they’ll have
my finished work they’ll they’ll have
my finished work they’ll they’ll have that finished they’ll have that sense of
that finished they’ll have that sense of
that finished they’ll have that sense of engagement and then the piece will be
engagement and then the piece will be
engagement and then the piece will be finished so I’m going to close here
finished so I’m going to close here
finished so I’m going to close here today with removing the tape and this is
today with removing the tape and this is
today with removing the tape and this is going to be a surprise for you as well
going to be a surprise for you as well
going to be a surprise for you as well as me not exactly sure what’s going to
as me not exactly sure what’s going to
as me not exactly sure what’s going to be underneath although I have a pretty
be underneath although I have a pretty
be underneath although I have a pretty good idea but you know painting is all
good idea but you know painting is all
good idea but you know painting is all about the process so we’ll see how it
about the process so we’ll see how it
about the process so we’ll see how it turns out
okay thank you
okay thank you [Applause]
”
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