I am a painter. That is, I have chosen to push coloured pigments around flat surfaces to create visual stimuli. In some form, it must represent my understanding of what our current society would find to be culturally important enough to be considered as part of the unfolding history of art. There are many ways that I feel my observations, theories and beliefs to be important, pertaining to modern culture, trends and the impetus of the art world.

I have chosen the medium of painting because of its traditional role in art; it is an icon of the idea that is art, the two have been linked together since their births. Because of this ongoing role, I feel the act of painting is studying the history of artistic mindset. The public’s nature to respect or enjoy the achievement of painting as a craft is still very much relevant, possibly more so with the age of replication and digital imagery. I use the creation process to instill a sense of time or narration in my work. I leave the canvas unfinished, showing undertones and graphite sketches reminding the viewer of the creation process. I feel that pushing or showcasing the elements or traits of the medium will help instill the idea of originality and artifact within the viewer.

Over time the traditional representation of art through the means of static visuals has proven to be just as superb or complex as that of the moving image, performance, or conceptual piece. The idea of approaching an image hung on the wall to be confronted and interpreted, or dismissed, is as exciting as any other cultural experience today. That is not to say I don’t acknowledge that most peoples’ attention spans have been destroyed by Hollywood, MTV and years of cutting edge advertisements, but I see these points as strengthening what a static 2-demensional work offers.

I am fascinated with the idea of representing contemporary culture and ideas using primitive tools that have barely evolved in the last five centuries. But there are so many reasons why painting’s aura is still capturing artists and viewers alike. Because of painting’s conflicts with the trends of today’s media outlets it continues to hold its status and importance among the arts.

I have been drawing upon this historical medium and its practitioners while I study process and image as two different narratives. I attempt to achieve contemporary aesthetics and imagery in two forms; through the study of cultural imagery and intrigue or by reinterpreting some subjects of past artistic relevance to me or our time. It is this reinterpretation as well as my paintings’ narrative commenting not only on their existence but their creation process which lends my work to postmodern ideologies.

Process is the exploratory, irrational, romantic entity within me that drives me to create. Strongly present in my youth; process became the main character of my ego; leading me to explore the basics of drawing from a young age, instilling a thirst for creativity. Sometimes blinded or lead askew, this drive (or ego) eventually lead me to academic life; where I studied art history and began to explore paint. I instantly fell in love with the colours, texture, liquidity, and idea of paint. All of these paintings are originals, I have made no prints or reproductions, they are one of a kind.

If you would like to purchase or commission a piece, contact me through this site or email: maybefirth@yahoo.ca