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As an American citizen who grew up during an era of increased economic stratification, and in a suburb where, due to sudden demographic shifts, I saw the interaction of many different socio-economic strata comingling, I am sensitive to indicators of class and wealth. As an artist, I am also conscious of the role images, decorative objects, and design play within the social web of class and culture. My artwork begins with an eye toward American’s tendency to define themselves according to their consumer habits (i.e. Lazy Boy vs. Herman Miller) and then continues through reinterpretations of the original subject matter to create a one of a kind object ready for consumption by yet another class of consumer.
These Faberge Eggs, found in a North Dallas curio shop, intrigue me both from a purely visual standpoint, and as social signifiers. Americans attempt to define themselves with possessions, and it fascinates me that the wealthiest members of capitalist America feel the need to define their own identity by appropriating the baubles of a defunct monarchical power structure. These paintings continue my exploration of the histories a person chooses to adopt through their retail consumption.
Unlike those in past centuries who had to physically go to Rome to see the Sistine Chapel, I learned about real places and time periods through reproductions of the originals, be they photographs, "historical" books and movies, ersatz Faberge Eggs, or a Feaux Chateau overlooking the Byron Nelson Golf Course in a suburb. Anyone who has seen the originals, as I have in some cases, knows that the original is different in form and experience than the reproduction, but the mutations can be interesting in their own right.
To aid in the mutation of reproduction, I use the camera, against all logic, to introduce the element of chance by purposefully shaking it while taking the photo. Using digital photography in combination with a rich, feathered painting surface results in a painting that is even more baroque than the object it depicts. From here I render the images into paint, returning them to the realm of High European Realism, consistent with the era in which the original subject matter, Faberge Eggs, were fabricated, and also consistent with their original place as beautiful baubles that embody the power, wealth and prestige of their patrons.
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