WITH APOLOGIES TO AARON COPLAND

You could consider this series "a portrait of the artist as a young man." I created these as landscapes of memory and mind. Drawing on the imagescape of my youth, I am furthering my exploration of the birth and death of the American Dream in these canvases, pushing further into abstraction and deconstruction. The imagery and iconography of the mid-to-late 20th century US psyche is on display here, set against fields of abstraction. On a meta level, the juxtaposition of these elements allows us to revisit the birthplace of modern American desire and question the validity and success of those dreams. They also show what shaped me. My secret and public influences, fascinations, aspirations, and desires are on display here, for better or worse.

For my musical mindset for the series, turn up The Cinematic Orchestra on “Lessons.” Absolutely one of my favorite bands and a continued source of inspiration.