Recently, I rediscovered letters I had saved from my father when he was in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. I had not read them in over 20 years and I was struck my father's reassuring words to my young self as he was surrounded by uncertainty and conflict. These personal artifacts have grounded my existing exploration of military aesthetics in my experiences as the son of a marine. The letters will form the basis of a new series of paintings, drawings and videos depicting the letters and cultural signifiers from the period covered in the letters (Sept ‘90 – March ‘91). Recreating these letters by hand is significant to me, where I am tracing my father’s hand, whose words are giving my teenage self, fatherly advice, communicating his beliefs and doubts and recounting his experience. Serendipitously, my father was 41 when he wrote these letters to me – the same age I am now.
New work in the studio - Surplus
Two watercolors from Southern Exposure's Monster Drawing Rally
Increase Individual Confidence 1 & 2, Watercolor and typed text on paper, 15"x11", 2014
Since 2002 I have had the pleasure to work with Southern Exposure and have participated in their annual fundraiser, the Monster Drawing Rally, every year since. I cannot express how important SoEx is to the Bay Area arts community, its continued support of artists and to its contributions to the importance of the Arts in global culture. Please support needed organizations like SoEx!
See more of the work produced for the Monster Drawing Rally here.