Experimental Works
Self Portrait (2003).
24" x 36"
Oil on Canvas
Self Portrait (2003).
20" x 30"
Oil on Canvas
Gender (2003).
24" x 24" x15"
Plaster Plaster Cast/Mixed Media
Sexual Diversity (1997).
30" x 36"
Oil Pastel on Stonehenge Paper
Legs (1997).
18" x 30" x 20"
Mixed Media
There was a time before sexuality and gender had the verbiage that it does today. Growing up gay in the 80’s and 90’s left me questioning my sexual and gender identity. While I knew I was gay, I didn’t always feel connected to the community. I grew up right on the verge of great changes that were happening in the gay community. I was also inspired by gender fluid characters of my youth (The Emcee in Cabaret, Hedwig) and gay icons in film and stage who seemed to push the boundaries of gender and sexuality. I created these pieces to express my frustration with my own internal demons regarding sexuality and gender that were unknown to me at the time. Blue and red were a common theme in my paintings of this time because these colors helped create the sense of isolation and loneliness that I believe many gay men of my generation experienced. This series of work was displayed in conjunction with my friend, Amelia, at the former Chase Café in Chicago, as part of a joint exhibition.
A pair of male legs stands in front of a toilet with the man’s pants pulled down to his ankles. Men don’t typically urinate in this way, but oftentimes boys do. The inspiration for this painting came from my work in the mental health profession, specifically with men. What fascinated me about working with so many heterosexual men are how they appeared very detached from their feelings. It amazed me how child-like most of my male patients were. For some it was about cultural influence or family upbringings, for others it was the impacts of trauma. Most of the work I do with my male patients is going back to the basics and teaching them how to experience and express their emotions in healthy ways. I wanted to challenge the viewer to think about the way we raise men in our society and the damage we create by not teaching them how to appropriately express themselves, leaving them forever lost in a state of boyhood.
Men Will Be Boys (2022).
18" x 24"
Oil on Canvas
365 Days of Un-creativity (2006-07).
12" x 36" x 6"
Mixed Media
For several years I was unable to find the inspiration to create much of anything. Not knowing what to do as an artist, I took a canvas and decided to do just one thing per day to it based on how I was feeling. I experimented with different techniques and used feelings as a way of directing what should be placed on the canvas. Sometimes I would paint on it, other times, I would destroy it. At the time I was writing a play that was going nowhere and ended up stuffing this piece with pages that were disastrous. This mixed media piece was the result of that year.
Chicago Theatre 1 (1997).
24" x 36"
Acrylic on Canvas
Chicago Theatre 2 (2003).
14" x 18"
Oil on Canvas
Chicago Theatre 3 (2003).
18" x 36"
Acrylic on Canvas
Chicago Theatre 4 (2003).
36" x 24"
Acrylic on Canvas
The concept for this mini-series came from my overall love of the theatre and my personal love of the Chicago Theatre. I chose complimentary colors to balance the orange of the theatre sign. I wanted to explore abstracting this iconic Chicago symbol into its most basic forms to create a balanced composition and share different views and perspectives with the viewer.
Summit Motel (2003).
18" x 36"
Acrylic on Canvas
On Lincoln Avenue was the Summit Motel, one of several motels which has since been torn down for condos. In the 50’s and 60’s these motels served as overnight stays for truckers, but through the 90’s and early 2000’s, this motel used to house drug dealers, people struggling with addiction, prostitutes, and people looking to have a quick affair on their lunch break. My goal was to abstract the Motel and use colors and texture to express the chaos and mystery behind this place. Since the original creation of this piece, it has come to develop further meaning for me. I am now able to look at this piece as a representation that pays homage to parts of Americana (however outcast they might be), that are slowly fading in society due to gentrification and commercialism.