I think all art is political to some extent, another way of lobbying for ideas, images, and effects. I confess to my romantic afflictions, and like the dual-faced Greek god Janus, I look to the past for clues to the present. Whatever impact tradition has on the style of my work, which can be significant at times, there is something more passionate driving the process: a desire for content, connection, and realization. Otherwise, what’s the point?

I’m looking for beauty in unlikely contexts—the sublime in a landfill—because it’s increasingly hard to find. The often-uneasy relationship between nature and technology serves as a point of departure for ideas that develop during my painting process. Despite the obsolescence of elaborate communication systems unable to communicate and the environmental degradation following short-term profit benefiting the few, I take myself seriously in the absurdity of the contemporary moment. Fortunately, however, to no avail.