Southernism

Southernisms represents an exploration of experiences while growing up…My parents and all my relatives are from the south and we would visit each year. Living in Chicago, many contrasts occurred between the north and the south. Several instances of "standing out" as a young man shaped my creative life…airing my dirty laundry and being teased…these explorations have come to fruition through this body of evolving works.

Reliquaries

A reliquary is a container, an intimate, ornate box that held the bones of saints; a spiritual object that one could meditate upon, a representation of something powerful and significant in the eyes of the Orthodox Church. This is the historical context for my object-oriented sculpture. These containers house remnants of the past. Some more directly refer to that history through the use of teeth and animal bones. Others refer to the consumer side of western culture, our obsession with "things" and the emotional/spiritual connection utilizing symbols of wealth. The artwork attempts to deconstruct some of these attitudes towards consumerism by creating art using commercial symbols in plastic media. The work is decorative and "pretty," drawing the viewer in visually and holding their interest through subtle/dark imagery. Things are not as they seem below the surface. The world I create visually illustrates something out of place, fragmented and disconnected, feelings that we often share in our consumer driven society. 

"Self-Portait Reliquary"
Mixed Media Wood

   

"Hurricane Jeanne #1 Reliquary"
Mixed Media, wood construction, acrylic and found objects

"Con-gratulation"
Mixed Media, wood construction, acrylic and found objects

 "Lite Brothers"
Mixed Media, wood construction, acrylic and found objects

"Skull Reliquary #3"
Plexi-glass, wood and found objects

 "Skull Reliquary #6"
Plexi-glass, wood and found objects

 "Snow Globe Reliquary #7"
Mixed Media, wood construction, acrylic, glycerin and found objects