No Separation

August 2000

The title of this exhibit, No Separation, sums up the themes I’ve been working with for years in my paintings.

It is my belief that separation is a concept invented by the mind. Truly, there are only relationships. Whether earth, air, water, plant, or animal; they are all made up of molecules. They touch and interact. Time and space as well have proven to be intrinsically linked. Even thoughts acting as the collective unconscious are connected.

By combining disparate elements, such as nature and architecture, and making the picture pleasing to look at, I am demonstrating this point. By peering through the various layers in my paintings, the viewer can distinguish different elements, but sees them as a whole. The world, which we think of as a whole, is an incredible stew of shapes, sizes, colors, events, and sensations, similar to the picture plane of a painting. Also, by playing with scale, I can illustrate relationships in our micro and macro environments.

In a sense, by creating works that convey harmony to draw the viewer in, I am adding to the family of connectiveness. Just like spanning the gap between the artists’ hand and eye, I hope my paintings span the gap of separation that people imagine exists in the mind.