photo credit: Paul Takeuchi
Everything I make emerges conceptually from the anatomy of a painting: stretcher, canvas, pigment. This is the foundation on which I built my studio practice years ago as a painter who found more meaning in materials than pictures. Working within this framework has allowed my process to be open-ended, provisional, indeterminate, and often eccentric, breaching the conventional infrastructure of “Art” both formally and institutionally. Several years ago I began making textile paintings and sculptures under the assumption of an alter ego named Welsey Wen [sic]. Comprised (so far) of tufted and woven textiles representing tattered garments, they suggest the lingering presence of a hard-working body.
Seven Convictions
1. The time invested in making the work conveys to those willing to invest the time seeing the work
2. It is possible that repetitive honing by hand may imbue an artwork with more humanity than a large painterly gesture
3. You can build something big from small parts (or cover large distances with small steps)
4. Color can be delightful and beautiful
5. Allowing a work to lean into entropy is in itself an affirmation of life
6. I am committed to the idea of mutual generosity between the artist and viewer
7. In a world stuck on spin cycle, a shift to line drying might be an appropriate choice