In the series of paintings, there is an
exchange between traditional and new:
echoing the history and tradition of
portrait painting while reflecting the
evolution of our story-telling through
modern markings (tattoos): the things
we honor and give meaning to.
It is
about redefining and fusing together
fragments of culture in an eclectic and
ever-changing world.
Intrinsic/Extrinsic
is a journey of interplay and making it up
as you go along.
It is a constant
exchange and dialogue between myself,
the model, and the viewer: the myriad
of influences that went into creating of
the headdress/mask; how the headdress
was "activated" when the model was
wearing or "acting" it; the interpretation
and translation into a painting, the
viewer imprinting his own meaning on
the painting.
It is unstable and always in
flux, like intrinsic and extrinsic. It is
forever changing in how we view the
world and ourselves in it. The meaning
of each headdress or mask: how do you
fabricate yourself?
In essence, Intrinsic/Extrinsic is about a
liberation of oneself in as much as it is
an owning of oneself.
It is the
acknowledgment that one can never
truly stand out of your biases and
judgements, but knowing this, may
provide a deeper level of freedom from
the construction and instructions of a
way of being in the world.
"...that man,
suddenly realizing that he does not
understand, will begin to understand.
Therefore the only task left to man is to
tear off all that dead skin until he finds
himself in the hour of the great
nakedness" (Esslin. The Theatre of the
Absurd. 1980: 96). |