Popped Art 2
Works from Popped Art 2 were ideas that I wanted to explore that I never got to do in my first show as well as new ideas. I wanted to dive into things that I have never done and make images that are a break from the idea of a "classical painting". Works like the Joan Crawford made of wire hangers, Tine Turner made from broken records, to Michael Jackson made of cassette tape.
Dips of Depression
Every show, I try to build on things I’ve done and take my work to a new place where I have not been, while building on things that I didn’t take far enough. Shows often resonate where I am in my life as well, and I wanted it to be a play on words. I have been thinking a lot about social issues of health and wellness and how depression’s highs and lows affect so many – how our mental states are so layered, multidimensional, and complex.
Dips of Depression also speaks to the amount of texture and depth of where I’m trying to take my works: pushing the definition of painting blurred with sculpture. The majority of the new works are really textured; they have a lot of depth and I have experimented with some new materials - some as simple as thread - that have really have been pushing my ideas in new, exciting ways.
We all could give a diary confession of how our mental state is how complex and intricate - and what you don’t see is just under the layer of things we show to people every day in our social persona. Yet, we don’t really tend to sympathize with people that may have those problems; there is a social stigma associated with something that is as common as having a bad day.
Popped Art
Popped Art is a collection of works that I wanted to create as an appreciation of a style I have never really explored. I wanted to pay homage to artists like Andy Warhol as well as iconic popular culture that have influenced my life. This was the first show where half of my works were collage works as opposed to mainly paintings. I explored many new materials I have never used in just a "2D Painting" format. For instance, with "Its Not Right, But Its Alright", I used only an audio cassette tape and a blank canvas to portray Whitney Houston. I had almost given up on the idea of being able to make something after twenty minutes of working with what is a very non-pliable material. After exploring the idea of how to use and break down the tape I went forward with the idea, creating one of the most popular pieces of the show.
Table Top Conversations
The idea for this show was comprised of making works that I could reuse or repurpose from leftovers of tables or parts of various table tops to create the art. I used actual tables, legs, hardware or scraps from deconstruction of the materials. The color is oil paint, dyes, and/or ink.
Progressive Regression
This show came from a desire to return to creating figurative works. In my early works as an aspiring artist, I felt compelled by the human figure. I was more comfortable rendering it in more of an abstract form, and for this show, I wanted to push my comfort zone and make more realistic works than I had every previously tried.
Various Large Works
A variety of large works all 80 inches in length. Works are primarily oil and mixed media on wood panel.
Press, Videos, and Publicity
R.O.C. Grand Opening Art Performance Piece
I was asked to do a performance art piece less than 48 hours before the grand opening event for R.O.C. (Republic of Couture). While I initially said no 4 times, the persistent owner, Gaston, finally convinced me to say yes. As much as I'm an "extrovert," creating art is deeply personal and opens you up to much criticism, especially when performing live on stage. I spent over 8 hours figuring out my inspiration, which is music, and I editing my muse into a solid piece where I could react, create and make visual story in twenty-two minutes. My set got cut short by five mins, but I was pretty damn happy with the end results. Even with the shortage of time, getting pulled out of my zone due to time restrictions while performing, and running out of black paint, I loved the actual experience. The whole thing was not only out of my comfort zone, it was a huge step out of it and taught me to be more confident in trying sometime totally new. Having people coming up to me afterwards with feedback and the excitement from the whole event was a amazing feeling. Thank you for watching and the support I have received.
ReDiscovering Atlanta with local Artist Patrick Hanson
A Video Documentation of "Popped Art" show
David Magazine Interview
Fenuxe Magazine Interview
R.O.C. Grand Opening Art Performance Piece
