Monday, January 4, 2010

Artist Statement

The artwork I create has alot to do with the stress and anxieties of life. The imagery I choose is a combination of the
beautiful and terrible. The drawings and paintings I create are a form of meditation on these things in which I interlock
people, civilization, and danger.
People are often represented protecting civilization from attacking monsters of various types. The monsters are symbolic of
real life juggernauts that tear down peaceful society. Demons such as poverty and war surround and infiltrate the thin line
of society that we desperately try to protect.
My art does not provide solutions for how we can stop the madness that is an everday reality. It is only a way for me to
express externally the internal knowledge that I have recieved through 40 plus years of living on earth. I find that many
identify with my drawings with a sense of awe. I don't believe the awe comes from the fact that they are wonderfully done
but instead because the imagery strikes an inner cord of consciousness that we all share. We all are faced with daily
events across the world that show tragedy indiscriminately regardless of wealth or power. Seeing such dark things on a daily basis has become commonplace with the rise of instant technology.
I place people in the middle of tragedy often, but I try to add an aura of innocence and or peace on the expressions of the
characters I create. I do this because I see this in myself and others in times of stress. At times peace and each other is
all we have in hardships. My mother passed on from melanoma. Money and technology did little for her as the cancer ate her
from the inside out. Family and time spent together in her last months were all we had. During her last days I saw peace in
her face.
Similar tragedy has fallen on my family with the near passing of my father. His second major heart attack almost took him
from us causing a whirlwind of stress and anxiety among family and friends. In this case technology seems to have purchased
more time for him through open heart surgery. The fear still remains though that he might at anytime be taken from us.
The reality is, that at any point in time from a myriad of reasons, any one of us, a great many of us, or all of us can be
snatched from this world. In fact, we all at some point in the near future will be taken. My art is mirror to the reality
of our condition. I believe within the realities I mirror in my art there are rays of hope for the viewers to find comfort
in. The rays of hope being the kindness and peace found on the faces and actions of others, those who care.

7 comments:

JDM said...

damn that picture is awsome chap, you gotta hook me up with a sick one to hang by the wheel

JDM said...

i wish i could come up with i sick artist statment like that, i need to come up with one for my future website but as you know writing was never my strong point

Unknown said...

Hey mr chapmen it's Jeramey Rushka just stopping by to take a look at the old stuff. Still looks great, sometime I'll have to drop by and show you some new things I've learned on the wheel.

Unknown said...

well put Uncle Greg...well put. Oh...and you are such a bad ass artist...YEEAAAH BOYEE!!!

Unknown said...

well put Uncle Greg...well put. Oh...and you are such a bad ass artist...YEEAAAH BOYEE!!!

Unknown said...

Radical

JDM said...

you blow my mind homie