F(L)OUND(ER)ING FATHERS
This series was inspired by both fact and fiction in American history. As a child in grade school I learned fanciful stories about our American leaders such as George Washington crossing the Delaware River with his men on Christmas night and Benjamin Franklin's discovery of electricity with a kite and key. It was only in later years that I learned about American history from other sources (ex. Howard's Zinn's - A Peoples History of the United States etc.) I learned that the legends behind these men were often embellished or simply fictitious. I also learned hard truths such as the fact that many of our founding fathers were slave owners and/or had other unseemly details about their lives that are seldom told. In this series of portraits, it has been my aim to make visual interpretations of these men as I see them. They may appear either honorable or bombastic or both simultaneously. Their direction is governed by what I have been taught as well as what I have learned on my own. Like Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" these portraits often may become grotesque or distorted to reveal my thoughts about the possible hidden "truths" surrounding the subject.I utilize a wide range of materials as my means of expression in order to say something unique about the characters I have chosen to portray. I think in creating three dimensions by using common, everyday materials these figures become more tangible, which aids in giving them "life".
