map_concept

I chose a Flannery O'Connor's short story Everything That Rises Must Converge (1956) for my story map project. It appealed to me because it is set in the South during segregation. The story, told through Julian, a recent graduate and typewriter salesman, begins when he picks his mother up to escort her to the Y for a weight reduction class on the city bus. The mother-son relationship is tested along the way as other passengers board and exit. Rich characters and the sequence of events provide strong content. I'm unsure of the format & execution at this time. Related topics include Rosa Parks, 1950s fashion (hats) and Southern aristocracy.

artist_statement

My early training in Communication Graphics in Texas propelled me into a complete immersion of print advertising and branding in New York City. For over a decade, I solved visual problems and developed successful marketing and promotional tools, gaining critical recognition which let to opening my own studio in 2000.

In 2006, I started exploring new mediums that would allow the same visual problem solving in more interactive ways. I combined Southern visuals and icons from my childhood with current urban sensibilities. I became fascinated by this duality, which led to animation and video retro-influenced projects using items I adore such as linoleum flooring, Kitty Wells and the accordion (to name a few). There is a strong continuity with my earlier design work. Musical concepts, staged environments and whimsical approach are tools often found in my creative arsenal.

My current projects are on rooted in the work of artists David Levinthal, Arthur Tress and Jeff Koons. Increasingly influential is the music of Dewey Balfa, the films of Les Blank and the photographs of William Eggleston.