io interview

Are there any newer images or select pieces you’d like us to prioritize in our promotions for the show?

I don’t have any newer images, but I always love to promote “CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE,” “EASY DOES IT,” and “PRIVATE LINE” as they are my personal favorites of the collection.

Tell us a little more about yourself.

I was born in Massachusetts but moved to New York City for school. After college I moved to Shanghai for some time, before eventually moving back to New York, and then ultimately here in Los Angeles. Through all of these chapters, I’ve had a lot of odd jobs that I think all inform my artist career in some way. I’ve been a line cook, a raw bar chef, a fudge whipper in a candy shop, a barista, a grip and gaffer on commercial and narrative shoots, an editor and a colorist in commercial and narrative projects, a personal trainer, and a painter to name a few. I think the most interesting art comes from the most interesting people. Varying what I do for work has definitely made my experience through life interesting, and I hope that comes through in my personal outward expression and art.

Tell us about your artist journey.

I worked in film and commercial production and post production for a long time. I learned so much about visual storytelling, color theory, and frame composition that absolutely translates to my art practice now. Most pieces I make, I try to think of as vignettes within a larger story. A common phrase in filmmaking is “late in, early out” which refers to entering a scene late and leaving early, so that you get the juiciest part of the story in the most efficient time. Sometimes my pieces are that sweet spot. Sometimes they’re the parts of the scenes that are inconsequential. The point is, they’re always considered in a larger conversation.

How did you come up with your style?

Trial and error. A lot. Of trial and error. And inspiration from my greats, namely: Kevin Sabo, Beryl Cook, Edward Hopper, Huguette Caland, Wong Kar-Wai, Hayao Miyazaki, David Lynch, Keith Haring, and Amanda Ross-Ho.

How do you find inspiration and stay motivated?

Continual exposure to the world around me, and an intrinsic desire to make whatever I have next, more interesting than what I have done before.

What techniques do you use to overcome creative blocks?

Engage in different mediums and talk to the creatives and non-creatives in my corner. Let myself try, fuck up, try again, fuck up again, and continue that cycle on a loop until something starts working.

How do you decide when a piece is finished?

I believe making a painting is engaging in a conversation with the piece. You speak to it and it speaks to you, and when the conversation feels like it’s reached a natural end, you’re done.

What role does research or your personal history play in your work?

Very significant. I draw on my own personal experience quite a bit, and when that falls short, I make sure to do my homework. I’m very outspoken both in life and in art. I’ve learned that as long as I know what I’m speaking on, and as long as I’m paying respect to that which deserves respect, I’m nothing but authentic and honest.

Do you have advice for other creatives?

1) Strive to exist on the razor’s edge of your comfort zone. Not so inside of it that you keep making the same shit over and over, and not so outside of it that you lose the plot completely.
2) Create community around you. The cost of community is inconvenience — go to the studio even when you don’t have anything to do personally just to be there. Help others with their projects. Go to others’ shows. Talk to others. Put yourself out there and be present, because when you want others to be present for you, they’ll remember when, or if, you were there for them.
3) Be brutally honest AND earnestly gentle with yourself. Call out when your shit stinks, but pick yourself back up and try again after. Have a scream or a cry when you need to, but only if you can follow it up with a laugh or an embrace.

How would you describe your artistic style or approach in a few words?

A visually pleasing interpretation of the world around us through a universally accessible lens, made by a very opinionated creator.

What drew you to this show in particular? Imagination? Fantasy?

The lil guys feel a lot like happy accidents in the history of my practice, so the theme “Accidental Breakthroughs” seemed just too perfect to pass up.

What do you hope people feel or take away when they see your work?

I hope that when people look at my work, they feel a sense of respite from the everyday noise. I hope that my work quiets the world around my viewer, and lets them lose themselves in a story of their own making, even if for a few moments.

Where can people find more of your work or connect with you online?

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