Symposium Year

2021

Preview

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Start Date

3-20-2021 2:00 PM

End Date

3-20-2021 2:55 PM

Description

Artist Statement

I am a traditionalist artist from Northern New Jersey. I served in the United States Navy as a helicopter mechanic and survived something that many would not have. I fell 20ft from a helicopter while performing routine maintenance, on April 12th, 2013. On that day, I lost my old self and woke up a completely different person, one I could not stand to even look at in the mirror, and that was just the beginning.

To portray the horrific journey, I had to go through, I chose to paint the images of my memory in a very disturbingly surrealist way. I wanted the viewer to try and understand the hell I was put through. H.R. Giger was a major influence in trying to get that surrealist sickening image across to the viewer. Throughout the process of painting these memories and images, I was very open about my mental health and making sure to communicate with professionals. The series “Unwanted Events,” ended up being very therapeutic and releasing many emotions I did not know I was still holding on to. It also brought a sense of relief because many people were starting to understand more about what had happened.

“Force Fed” - I was on nineteen different medications within the first year after my accident. Between the traumatic brain injury, post traumatic migraines, inflammation, chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety and depression, I was a mess. The doctors just kept throwing medications at me in hopes that something would fix me.

[Artist Symposium page]

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