Artist Statements

ASTRO BLACK

This body of work entitled Astro Black, was inspired by repeated listening to the music of Sun Ra and his Arkestra – primarily from The Solar-Myth Approach, Volumes 1 and 2. After some weeks, mental images began to emerge – once I began painting them, they were created instantly. Similar in approach to sumi-e brush painting, the working process became a dance with the nature of the materials. I worked both systematically and intuitively: the use of simple materials and small scale allowed for the immediate realization of ideas; over time, Sun Ra’s compositions became an auditory map spontaneously guiding my working process. As one idea was explored, another surfaced, was traversed and realized. Just as natural landscapes constantly evolve and devolve, these works were created within a cycle: pieces constantly created, ideas improved upon, discarded, destroyed, and made anew.