Underpinnings of Existence Artist Statement

Underpinnings of Existence is a collection of artworks on paper that document my personal, artistic perception into the nature of the physical universe and the laws that form the foundation of the cosmos and make life possible. I feel I am exploring a ubiquitous, primordial human capacity for symbolic thought and representation. Science, using the same human capacity, has expanded the theories of the universe to a point where my mind has trouble comprehending. Primitive humans react to the same world with the same mental tools but without the same degree of scholarship and knowledge. I also lack the facility to fathom the intricacies and mathematics of modern cosmology and have chosen to explore the order of the universe using my modest understanding of science, my intuition, and artistic tools.

I have termed these artworks drawings to distinguish them as early observations into a huge topic, sketches along the path of investigation. I claim only a brief sojourn into a realm that has been on the forefront of human curiosity since the beginning of human mentality. Concurrently, I am expanding my use of various materials and have discovered a number of interesting methods. All the works, excluding the print, are mixed media on paper, mostly Multimedia Artboard, a proprietary paper stabilized with resin, and use a variety of components, including: gesso, acrylic paint, acrylic gel medium, oil primer, spray primer, India ink, graphite, chalk pastel, oil stick pastel, spray shellac, encaustic, and oil paint.

The human path is a path of symbols and abstractions. I have been on this path for my entire life along with the rest of humanity. My movement into the artistic world has included ventures into ceramics, printmaking, painting, jewelry making, and sculpture. I am primarily self-taught and self-directed. I have shown independently with several one-person shows and exhibited with the Oceanside Museum of Art, Artist Alliance and the Palomar College student community. I want to thank my wife, Valya, for her great help on my artistic path and thank Rob Pendleton and 20/20 Gallery for the opportunity to exhibit my latest work.

March 1, 2012