Artist's Statement In my work I try to entice the viewer by referring to the subconscious. I displace people, animals and objects in scenarios that suggest a familiar unreality or a dreamy montage. In each piece, I strive to identify and exploit the tension that comes from placing images in unfamiliar territory. When an image, item or action is removed from its literal, social, or cultural meaning, it enters the symbolic meaning. The act of creating them provides a sort of exorcism for me in which the viewer can also participate. I opt ultimately not to define the intent and meaning of works of art. The viewing of a work of art should be a mental exercise for us- a personal journey. The feeling we take from a piece is our relationship to it, and its meaning in every sense of the word. In keeping with the ambiguity of purpose that I value as an artist I employ a metaphorical language to communicate personal experiences, struggles, desires, and dreams. I place people, animals and objects into folkloric, fable-ish compositions that are abstract and obsessive. Through association, I create character personalities whose interaction in my scenarios help us accept the displacement of their images, and therefore, the idea of the piece. It is my hope  that experiencing this tension results in not only resolution, but also revelation, not just for myself, but for the viewer also. 06/17/09