These paintings contain a visual story of an existential cartoon world instead of a literal narrative. It is a cartoon landscape of Zen Koan like T-shirt philosophies. Life is complex we live in the moment.

The simplicity and clarity of the comic visual vocabulary reveals and intensifies the vulgar and uncivilized subjects.

The characters in these paintings are sinners, sad sacks, nitwits, bone heads, infidels, high brows and low brows, experiencing never ending sadness and grief. Crying Jags. The endless misery of country western songs. The heartbreak of the human condition. The persistence of these emotion exposes the consciousness of passing time.

I’m not a painter, I’m a taxidermist! Release your demons I say.

Education


1979 University of Illinois, Champaign, BFA Graphic Design
1978–79 Northeast London Polytechnic, London

Selected Exhibitions


2006 “Mirror Image” Group Show. Curated by Karen Shaw. Islip Museum, East Islip, NY

2005 “Collaboration II” The Center For Emerging Visual Artists, Philadelphia, PA. Dec.
“Damn Good Painting!” Group Show. LyonsWier-Ortt Contempoary Art, NY, NY. Nov.

2000–2005 Pierogi 2000, Brooklyn, NY. Works on paper on view in flat files.

2001 “Small Works,” 80 Washington Square East Galleries. Juried Show, New York, NY Feb–March

2000 “Private Worlds,” Art In General, Curated Show, New York, NY May–July.

2000–2002 LFL Gallery, Works on paper on view in flat files
“2000,” New Jersey Center For Visual Arts, Juried Show. Summit, NJ.

1999
“1999 Night of 1,000 Drawings,” Artists Space, NYC

1989
One Person Show, Parkland College, Champaign, Illinois. Springfiled.
“The World is Flat Again,” One Person Show, Deson-Saunders Gallery, Chicago.
“The Size of Chicago,” Four Person Show, Ricky Renier Gallery, Chicago.

1987 One Person Show, Marianne Deson Gallery, Chicago

1986 “Self Portraits Then and Now,” A.R.C. Gallery

1985 Chicago “Chicago Art Show,” curated by Ed and Nancy Kienholz, Museum of Contemporary Art
“Paradisiacal Machine,” One Person Show, Peter Miller Gallery, Chicago
“Convergence: Mind, Myth & Material,” curated by Michel Segard. Peter Miller Gallery, Chicago.
“Chicago & Vicinity Drawing Show,” Art Institute of Chicago.


1984
“Painting and Sculpture Today,” Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana
“New Horizons in Art,” 1984, Cultural Center, Chicago.
“Danger Post-Industrial Paint,” Group Show. Peter Miller Gallery. Chicago
“Big City: Civilization As We See It,” Three Person Show. Peter Miller Gallery. Chicago

REVIEWS


“Provacation Galore,” by Alan G Artner. Chicago Tribune. January 26,1989.
“Chicago’s New Expressionism—The Birth of an Aesthetic?” by Michel Segard. New Art Examiner. May 1985.
“Chicago—Matt Straub,” by Jeff Abell. New Art Examiner. December 1985.
“Painters Display Strong Convincing Voices,” by Christopher Lyon. Chicago Suntimes. July 27, 1984.
“Art Galleries,” by Alan G Artner. Chicago Tribune. February 3, 1984.
“Post-Industrial Paint,” by Michel Segard. New Art Examiner. November 1984.
“Sex Show,” by Mark Michael Leonhart. New Art Examiner. November 1983.
“Sex Show,” by Mark Michael Leonhart. New Art Examiner. November 1983.

OTHER RELATED ACTIVITIES


Chashama A.R.E.A. Award.Studio Residency. New York City.2005.
Bronx Council On the Arts, Panelist for BRIO Awards selections. New York, May 5, 2000.
Studio Residency. Ed and Nancy Kienholz Studio. Berlin Germany. Summer 1986