The Black Brush Air Light series has been a work in progress since 2008. There have been subseries that have spawned from it, yet these micro collections have been a part of the greater whole. The Black Brush Air Light is a continued body of work that has, so far, hundreds of pieces that range from urban graffiti style characters to the present “visionary gesture drawing” that it has become. If it were to evolve into biomechanics or psychedelic landscape, for instance, it would only be a natural progression; I have trouble accepting any progression as ever being a conscious push in an intentional direction.
I like thinking of these finished pieces as large-scale thumbnails: A preliminary sketch, an improvisational free drawing. There are no initial steps, no reference, masking or thought behind them. They are executed on the spot in front of crowds that range from 40-4000 people. I am not able to step back to check for compositional flaws, so I keep the compositions minimal and simplified. The live element prevents, not only stepping back, but also the ability to hide mistakes. I am unable to back track, erase, or paint over a visual idea if I were to change my mind.
The Black Brush Air Light performance directly influences the final piece. As I dance with each painting and execute it in rhythm to the music I make decisions based off of tune, tempo, volume and crowd reaction to the sound. Without taking away from the music, these paintings accent each part of an evening, and bring a visual representation to the music. I like knowing that I could not have painted the same thing alone in my studio. I’ll take the external influences that affect the piece positively along with the ones that make it a pain in the ass to paint. People spill drinks at my feet. They try to talk to me about everything from spirituality to selling me insurance. I have power, lighting and balance issues. I’m given empty offers of gallery tours through Europe, and honest offers of white powders and pills. The distractions are impossible to list in a single artist statement. These distractions are a part of it though and I would not trade it for the connection that I attain with the evening and how it positively affects the final piece.
