You mentioned that you liked to talk about your work in relation to music. Can you elaborate on this connection?
I care a lot about music, and I think in general that musicians are much cooler than artists. A lot of musicians have been recording their own stuff and distributing it for a while now and obviously as technology has made home recording easier, musicians are less and less beholden to some kind of production model that keeps them from controlling all of their ideas. I think that in the last 10 years or so, hearing a lot of diverse music, and being exposed to certain labels/musicians especially; Mike Rep, Ron House, Jim Shepard & Vertical Slit, Dead C, etc... has really energized me (the title of the show 'Rocket to Nowhere', actually comes from my favorite punk classic by Mike Rep and the Quotas). Listening to this music, I just came to realize that I can make the kind of work I want to see and not really worry about who is going to appreciate it... Maybe that helps me explain why I think the institutional side of showing art might lame out things a bit. I also find that when people have a hard time with artwork, it is helpful to equate things to music, a lot more people have strong opinions about music than art and, in general, they are less literal in their expectations/interpretations of meaning or a songs expression.
You and Lila are a couple who also share a studio, how does this environment have an effect on your work?
Working in the same studio with Lila is really inspiring! I love her a lot, I really trust her judgment and she's helped me get better at making things. We have always had a strong affinity for one another and it started with our artwork (we met in art grad school on our first day there). Over time our artistic concerns have dovetailed and have diverged. But, we take a lot of inspiration from each other and even sometimes unconsciously copy each other. Friends and family who are supportive and pay attention to our work sometimes have trouble telling it apart. It isn't really a concern of mine at all that it can look similar. Some people put too high a price on developing a kind of signature style. I have always felt like Lila and I would do installations together at some point - work in a way where our two voices kinda came together. I plan to make paintings and drawings, etc. for a long time, and I am not too worried about developing a singular voice.
I was recently reading an article on new abstract painting and something they talked about was how the paintings become this filter of everyday life, would you say that describes your work?
I like that idea and to a certain extent I'd say it is a filter of my experience. My paintings really aren't transportive like a landscape can be, or referential like a pop art painting... so they feel less demanding as an art piece to some people and therefore more casual. But, I want them to capture something special and be challenging. Sometimes my paintings are more visual and create more of a feeling and sometimes they have their own sort of character or specific personality... It is kind of an artist's cliché but I spend a lot of time outdoors, in the woods here in RI, in the streets when I lived in New York City or in the mountains back home in Colorado. I love getting caught up in looking at things, and there is always some kind of surprise to find when you are walking around outside. You can see something strange and something beautiful. I don't work in any way from reference, or directly from nature, but I want my work to have that kind of feeling I guess. I like the idea of a more informal kind of art though... One that's first and best place isn't necessarily in a pristine white gallery.
You made a zine, Snuffed Out, specifically for Rocket To Nowhere. Could you describe it for everyone a little? Also, do you have any favorite zines or artists' books that you've seen lately?
Yes I did. It was the first time I have made something like that since making ninja comic books when I was a kid. I wanted to try something for the show and it was an experiment. I freelance as a graphic designer and I troll around a lot on the web during those working periods - I keep images in some labeled folders, like a virtual atlas. So I took a bunch of those, and manipulated them a bit, and then randomly copied them back to back on 11 X 17 sheets and randomly assembled them. Some of the image juxtapositions were pretty interesting. I know I wanted it to have a tone of menace. But someone said it made them feel sort of fortified when they looked at it - which I guess is at least as good as feeling menaced. It turned out okay, but I'd like to try another approach next time I make one.
Lately, I have recently purchased some zines from Printed Matter that are cool, Z-Art by Martin Zet, another by Louise Neaderland called Where is Home? It is really beautiful and printed beautifully. At Ada books I have picked up a couple I like a lot; RAV #3 by a Providence artist who is really good named Mickey Zacchilli, and a Punchline from SF called Cop that is really funny and eerie. And at Amigos, I bought the awesome Deadbeat Daughters by sweet and feral Daniella Ben-Bassat & Hannah Abelow as well as Holeshot #9 which is an compilation of zines you put together and that is super cool and features zines by Vinny Martin and Jake Honesto.
And finally, what are some local things in Providence that are inspiring or have interested you lately?
I think RK Projects is really cool and a very smart way to deal with the lack of opportunities for artists to show in Providence and it puts people into strange spaces around town. I read Mothers News every month and I think it is great. I like Amigos, Armageddon shop, Analog Underground, Load records, Pork Fiend, and I enjoy walking my dog in the North Burial Grounds (the cemetery off of North Main St.) it is a great place to watch the sun set!
Rocket To Nowhere will be up until December 8th. You can purchase Snuffed Out here.
