_low_hanging_fruit
_low_hanging_fruit Spectre Arts, Durham, NC October 2014
Drawing is an integral part of my art making practice. I draw every day. Usually, everything I do starts with drawing, as if my life depends on it. I imagine a day when I will only able to communicate to the outside world through mark making. In my past exhibitions, the drawing aspect of my work has been downplayed and pushed to the back. For _low_hanging_fruit, I wanted to make it front and center. I had no overlying, thematic agenda for this exhibition except to make the show an extension of my head space when I’m in the studio. I made a conscious decision to not self edit and to work totally in the moment. Themes are very fluid, and they clash and weave in and out of the black hole of my subconscious.
Recently, I traveled to China and picked up some sumi ink and brushes. When I returned to my studio, I started using them immediately. I was less interested learning traditional Chinese calligraphy, but more in the handling of the brush and ink. I found the process liberating and the materials fluid, unruly and messier than I had been accustomed to in the past. For this exhibition I’ve worked exclusively with sumi ink, chinese brushes and bamboo paper.