Experimental Works
Self Portrait (2003).
24" x 36"
Oil on Canvas
Self Portrait (2003).
20" x 30"
Oil on Canvas
Legs (1997).
18" x 30" x 20"
Mixed Media
Gender (2003).
24" x 24" x15"
Plaster Plaster Cast/Mixed Media
Sexual Diversity (1997).
30" x 36"
Oil Pastel on Stonehenge Paper
There was a time when sexuality and gender were not recognized or acknowledged the way they are today. Growing up gay in the 80s and 90s left me questioning my sexual and gender identity. I knew I was gay but didn’t always feel connected to the community, which was on the verge of great change. In my youth I was inspired by gender fluid characters like The Emcee in Cabaret and Hedwig and other gay stage and film icons, who seemed to push the boundaries of gender and sexuality. My Gender/Self Portraits illustrated my frustration with my own internal demons. Blue and red were a common thread in my paintings from that time. Those colors were used to express the sense of isolation and loneliness that many gay men of my generation experienced. This series of work was displayed in conjunction with my friend Amelia in a joint exhibition at the former Chase Café in Chicago.
Untitled (2023).
14" x 18"
Oil on Canvas
Showcased at 64 Arts, IL. 2023
Cigarette (2007).
10" x 30"
Oil on Canvas
Untitled (2023).
16" x 20"
Oil on Canvas
Hemorrhoids: A Tribute (2022).
14" x 18"
Oil on Canvas
Studies estimate that anywhere from 45 to 90% of men struggle with body image issues. This becomes even more prevalent and concerning in the gay community. This piece was designed to draw attention to these issues and the associated shame and isolation. I encourage the viewers to examine their reaction to this piece as a way of surveying their own relationship with the subject of body image in others—and, perhaps, in themselves.
Untitled (2023).
6" x 12"
Oil on Canvas
Birds of prey have always fascinated me. Their enormous wingspans hovering through the sky are often associated with death. I placed this massive creature on a small canvas to invite the viewer to walk up close and examine this often-misunderstood bird, not in fear, but from a curious perspective. The contrasting cream background, symbolic of renewal, plays off the dark feathers of the vulture to remind us of the vital role this bird plays in life.
Vulture (2023).
6" x 12"
Oil on Canvas
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 was how they appeared very detached from their feelings. It amazed me how child-like most of my male patients were. For some, it was from cultural influence or family upbringings. For others, it was from the impact of trauma. With most of my male patients I go back to the basics and teach them how to experience and express their emotions in healthy ways. With my painting Men Will Be Boys, I wanted to challenge the viewer to think about the way we raise boys 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
Showcased at Viridian Artists, NYC. 2023
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 that for one year I would 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. During that period, I was writing a play that was going nowhere and ended up stuffing this mixed media piece with discarded pages. This piece was the outcome 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 miniseries arose from my overall love of the theatre and my personal affection for the Chicago Theatre. I chose complementary colors to balance the orange of the theatre’s sign. My intent was to abstract this iconic Chicago symbol into its most basic forms to create a balanced composition and offer different views and perspectives to the viewer.
Playbill Dresser (2012).
31" x 45" x 16"
Mixed Media
NYC (2003).
30" x 30"
Oil on Canvas
OM (2005).
18" x 24"
Oil on Canvas
The Summit on Lincoln Avenue was one of several motels that have since been torn down for condos. Beginning In the 1950s and 60s, these motels served as overnight stops for truckers and families on trips by car. Jumping ahead to the 1990s and early 2000s, the Summit housed drug dealers, people struggling with addiction, prostitutes, and those escaping to have a quick affair on their lunch breaks. My original goal was to present The Motel in abstraction and use colors and texture to draw the viewer into its years of chaos and mystery. Since its original creation, however, deeper meaning of The Motel’s significance has unfolded for me. The Motel is a representation that encapsulates the fading places once available to elements of Americana (however outcast they might be), now replaced by society’s enveloping gentrification and commercialism.
Summit Motel (2003).
18" x 36"
Acrylic on Canvas