Short Stories (1985-87)

(works on paper)

These works are meant to explore the tragic/comic aspect of contemporary life. They deal with confrontations in daily existence and often focus on awkward, and even sometimes absurd, situations. The gestures are all important. The framing is intentionally confining and sometimes reminiscent of a theatrical set or stage.

Some of the paintings are about the spectacle of relationships, frozen in exaggerated and melodramatic poses. And some of the works, particularly the earlier ones on paper, are about the superficial and simplistic manner in which even the most serious and disturbing events in human life are treated. Media governs a tremendous amount of visual images and condenses them into readable and often palatable formats. I wished to have some of the pieces focus on that contradiction—the prettifying of distress.

It is my hope that the images and the resulting narratives shift between the sad and the humorous at different points in time, according the experience and memories of the various viewers.

And of course these are works of fiction. Any resemblance toa actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.