8.6.06

I didn't finish the painting for inCLOVER, but I'm okay with that. It's coming along well.

I've been doing some thinking about why I paint the way I do: My work is a statement against the culture of fear, anxiety, and ugliness that is forced on us by the media and the government through violent images, sound bytes, and near-24 hour coverage of war, scandal, and pointless drivel about famous people about which we are supposed to care. Rather than using direct interpretation of recent events to confront these issues of the world head-on, my paintings provide an alterative/antidote to being bombarded by the damaging images permeating our environment. I choose to infuse the environment with beauty and interest instead of adding to the psychological pollution being perpetrated by the media.

Thank you for looking and please email me with thoughts about, or reactions to, the work you see here, or have seen in public.

Thanks also to all of you who came to inCLOVER. Your presence meant a lot to me.

graves