Tension (2009)
This pieces relies heavily on metaphor as a means of addressing notions of tension, collision, and alienation. The figures in these paintings are often coming together or pulling apart, and it is the juxtaposition of disparate (but symbolic) elements that hint at an underlying narrative. There is often too a play between figuration and abstraction in these paintings that, beyond betraying my interest in surface quality and paint, heightens the feeling of entering a private world where these fictions coexist. Evidently, I frequently explore the use of animal as allegory or surrogate, and its relation to (hyper)masculinity as I address these overarching themes.
