And the Bones Remain

Science is out of the reach of morals, for her eyes are fixed upon eternal truths. Art is out of the reach of morals, for her eyes are fixed upon things beautiful and immortal and ever-changing. To morals belong the lower and less intellectual spheres. ~Oscar Wilde, The Critic as Artist, 1891

At the age of twenty I had mortality stare me in the face in the form of something the size of a lime. I was told by my doctor, quite bluntly (as he circled an area on an MRI of my brain with red wax pencil) that in his words “That’s not supposed to be there.”This simple statement altered my entire world. I went from living an ordinary existence in which I was blissfully ignorant of my own brittle connection to life, to a microcosm where my coffin followed close behind and every moment is precious. This thing inside my head had taken control. With the eggshell of my previous life shattered around me I entered into a new world, a universe of my own design where I not only could, but had to change everything about myself. I chose to regain control by creating a new body for myself through art and tattoos. I chose to become a part of a better world, one of bright colors and vibrant images.

My work is a journey of self discovery. Through my process I delve deeper into my connection to life and how I reassert that tie through my art and tattoos. Skull images are not images of death but affirmations of life. The skull images I produce are those affirmations of life through my art, they allow me to regain the control I lost. My skulls are on black gessoed masonite, these drawings are stripped down to a simple four color palette of white, yellow ochre, bone white and black and the large scale really impose upon the viewer. Tattooing is a medium that allows me to create a permanent mark on myself and express my life story. Tattoos are a collaborative effort that allows another artist to help me interpret my stories into images on my skin. These images are an ongoing effort to document my life and show the world.