Artist Statement
Any object can be turned into art, but there are some that, to me, are already there. I find an old rusting piece of metal on the street and it is as if I had just discovered an invaluable treasure. The older and rougher the object is, the more value it has because it has seen things, has history, and it has weathered hardships yet it still remains beautiful. My fascination with incorporating these objects, shaped by man but textured by time, in what I do comes from seeking a connection with the past while adding stories to of each individual object in my artwork.
I allow deep emotions to dictate the images and materials for my pieces rather than allowing rationality and practicality to clutter and fog my vision. All I do is ask myself a big question and let the artwork solve the riddle; thus, in the end I have the answer materialized before me. I never know what materials I will use until I am there and the piece itself demands I use a particular element, which is why I collect everything that catches my attention.
The Heads, are the embodiment of a deeper truth I learned through this process, and it is one that I need to remind myself every day. Physically, they are two 4x6 panels stacked vertically to make an overpowering twelve feet art piece made up of oil on linen and impasto. Subconsciously, I think, I wanted to experiment with incorporating painting and sculpture into one medium. The big question in this piece treads along the lines of exploring that thin boundary between life and the beyond. However, I notice that the result is often deeply connected to my roots in Eastern Europe along with its aesthetics, there is a inherent desire to draw something positive from a pessimistic platform, which makes me see myself as a Romantic Expressionist.