Fire Works
The “Fire Works” paintings merge my life long interest in pyrotechnical materials with shamanic states of consciousness to unravel visions outside the normal range of view. As a child I played with and modified fireworks in order to assemble new explosive experiences. Chinatown in New York City allowed for access to such materials year-round. By the time I was a teenager and with the support of my mother, I was able to acquire more power raw materials including waterproof cannon fuse. This allowed me to get more constructive with my endeavors. By the time I was in college, I was able to merge these fascinations with my academics by creating art videos of sculptural projects whereby the shapes and experiences were made by the conscious deployment of force exerted by explosive power with metals and paint.
Today, I return to these pyro inclinations that are being channeled in a new method. By exploration with various grades of pyrotechnical powders and the creation of a specially engineered drawing tool, I am able to paint with explosive powders. The consequential effects on various papers including wonderful colorations of the burn marks and the patterning of microscopic exploding particles on the paper leave hypnotic dynamics that reveal an almost cosmological unity. By merging paint with my flow dynamic drawing exercises using custom developed explosive “ink” I discovered a new form of expression that I call “Fire Works”.