Underpinnings of Existence Cate Gallery Statement

Before the Limitations of Time 1sm.jpg

It has been nearly a year since I finished the artwork for Underpinnings of Existence. I am pleased to have the chance to bring a portion, almost half, of the pieces to the Cate School Library Gallery. Cate is my alma mater (class of 1979) and where my passion for art started in earnest. I studied ceramics and printmaking with Marty Sykes and found myself enthralled and engaged by the process of creating art. I received a visual arts award at graduation along with a big, beautiful art book. I was hooked.

My journey, however, has been anything but direct. I was diverted by my choices and the inevitabilities of life, the study of science, particularly biology, professional training, family, and varied occupations. Then, some twenty years ago, I gravitated back to art and started working. With no real education or direction, I worked intuitively with color and form and figure. Cate School was again instrumental in my artistic development. In 2001, Marty Sykes offered me a show and a commission, a painting to hang on the wall below the art loft. To her surprise, I showed up on the Mesa with a truckload of paintings, drawings and prints and filled the foyer of the Hitchcock Theater practically to overflowing. She was shocked to see the “commission”, an eighteen-foot wide abstract triptych that has been hanging for almost twelve years now. I feel part of the campus; it’s great. I had a smaller, more cohesive show in 2005, an early precursor to the works on view now. I continue to thank Cate School and Marty Sykes for starting me and supporting me on this artist’s path.

In addition, I want to thank those who have been helpful and instrumental in arranging the current exhibition. Thanks to Chris Giles for suggesting the show and to Molly Krill and the library staff for making the Library Gallery available. I want to thank my wife, VALYA, for always having an encouraging word and to my children, Allie (class of 2004) and Tyler (class of 2007), for keeping my ties to Cate fresh and active.

February 1, 2013