In my works, I often deal with myth as a subject matter; from an early age, I have been influenced by Joseph Campbell's writings and the stories themselves. For me, myth continues with our cultural archives but can evolve new meanings with sufficient imagination
In my works, I often deal with myth as a subject matter; from an early age, I have been influenced by Joseph Campbell's writings and the stories themselves. For me, myth continues with our cultural archives but can evolve new meanings with sufficient imagination. Specifically compelling to me are the temple carvings of Khajuraho, India, in which the deities are involved in an erotic tangle - so diametrically opposed to Western norms - that it has become a rich source of inspiration for me. My personal take on these ideas is to bring these gods down to a human level in which being a deity is simply a day job, and their home life may be mundane, perhaps not so different from our own.
These beings populate my works, created from my imagination and the people who have shaped my life. I often meld these personalities. They are unique and real, flesh and bone. Building their bodies is a very sensual, almost erotic process that can be very intimate. I also find the body sufficiently expressive on its own.
I have been exhibiting throughout the U.S. for over 20 years and had a mid-career retrospective at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle in 2004. My work combines classical style with Tibetan and Hindu myth, and adventurous collectors worldwide have sought it out.