| Reflecting on the events that led me to these current light works the memory of my first encounter with a prism comes to mind. I was eight years old and totally enthralled by the world now wearing a rainbow aura. This was my first clue that the world held more than we may initially perceive.
In my youth I painted, studied music and photography, and later made stained glass windows. The light always drew my attention. Very often, when photographing, it was not the subject matter as much as the light on the subject that compelled me.
From 1973 to1976 I attended the Boston School of the Museum of Fine Arts, concentrating on drawing, painting and printmaking. In 1977, I was invited to Alcalde New Mexico by photographer Douglas Kent Hall. Sizing me up one day he announced that he knew where I belonged. It turned out that he was right. The New Mexican light and openness embraced me.
In 1980 I returned to Mass. to study with Henry Henche, the maestro of The Cape School of Art in Provincetown. This small school offered a comprehensive approach to Impressionism. This was the American school originally led by William Merit Chase, followed by Charles Hawthorn, who was to become Henry's teacher.
During that six week session, I stood out of doors observing sun light trying to capture its subtleties with my paint. One day, I looked out across the landscape and, much like my prism experience, I found that I was seeing differently. I no longer saw the trees. I saw the light on the trees.
After weaning myself off of the form of things I found myself exploring color field painting.
Beginning this new approach in 2000 I observed various laws of light. Light cannot exist without the dark. To create a sense of light I left certain areas of the canvas glass free to create the dark.
The darker the dark the lighter the light is beautifully shown to us by the stars in the night sky. Because of this dynamic certain lighting requirements are necessary when installing these works. Too much ambient light washes out the contrast of the dark and the light.
The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. This law affects the perception of the viewer as they walk past the painting passing from the dark into the light and back out into the dark. This illustrates not only the physical properties of light but also graphically shows us that our perception can change if we change our point of view.
It would seem that light and consciousness behave the same. If we could really consider this and begin to understand the true nature of creation and existence the world could be transformed. This work is my offering for that which the light has shown me.
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