Artist Statement
We held one another, we laughed, we ate. Your body no longer exists. I often wonder where you are. Have you found paradise? Are you amongst the clouds? Are you with the ghosts that my Great-Grandmother used to tell me about? They say that humans exist in body, spirit, and mind. Perhaps your little notes still contain your consciousness. Maybe, whenever I quote you, you breathe again. How much of you did I capture in that portrait from many years ago? You are not that painting. But like you, paint functions in multiple states. The material can be cast, poured, stained, or even airbrushed. The medium’s sundry properties reveal parallels between person and paint. The simple suns and rainbows that I render ponder the mysteries of this physical world, a callback to the indigenous art of long ago. These vibrant motifs borrow the power of light. Their emphasis on the body of paint reminds me of your body. They echo the melodies sung by Stanley Whitney, Sam Gilliam, and Suzanne Jackson.
