Collection: Apologia

Once upon a time, artists in the Western visual art tradition could draw their subject matter from a rich, relatively stable, and widely shared cache of mythological, religious and literary stories and figures. Alas, in a post-Christian, post-modern, post-historical art world, the challenge for painters now is to find something that might be recognizable – or at least- meaningful to an audience.

While referencing history in a contemporary work of art risks alienating viewers, my intention and hope is that my paintings will provoke an inquisitive response.

Apologia uses elements of iconic visual and literary works of art to invoke a contemplative “old-world” feel to them. Elements from various art historical moments, philosophies, periods and painters are combined to express a mood and idea about the past. Understanding the social context associated, this series represents a “defense” of a tradition that has inspired, outraged, bemused and most importantly nurtured me to create an unapologetic body of work challenging the negative connotations tied to classical aesthetics.