Artist Statement
Passion is the essence of who I am and defines my exceptional gift. From the very beginning, I knew my destiny was to share my creative vision with the world. At an early age, it was evident that I possessed an extraordinary gift. However, it was greatly misunderstood; so much so that how I visually interpreted my surroundings separated and alienated me from the norm. For example, a natural act like walking down a flight of stairs was no easy task for me. Things that were distant appeared close in range. For me, every movement through space appeared as individual frames rapidly processing through my mind. Most people have a natural perception of movement, distance and space; somehow I lacked this attribute. I literally saw the world as being flat! This was later interpreted as a deficiency in motor skills. Realizing that something was very different about me, my mother sought therapeutic, psychological and medical assistance to better understand or correct my condition. It was ultimately determined that corrective footwear was the solution. For years I struggled to understand this rare and exceptional gift. I had a unique ability of interpreting images and perspectives, not realizing this would be the catalyst that would shape and define my work. Suddenly it became clear to me that the very thing that separated me from everyone was the very thing that connected everyone to me. During my adolescent years, I was recognized by prominent and respected artists as having prodigy characteristics. I later learned that this sentiment was also shared by Simmie Knox, who would ultimately hone and shape my skills. As I matured, I learned to channel and harness my gift and apply it through visual means. More and more my creative and artistic skills developed. This led me to pursue my career of becoming a fine artist. Initially, I mastered portraits which established the foundation for my collection of conceptual works comprised of a three-part series entitled Artistry I, II and III. This series consists of one hundred twenty six pieces ranging in size from 18” x 24” to 8’ x 6’. My entire collection can best be described as a body of work that reintroduces the viewer to overlooked beauty, controversial issues, hidden humor and realistic situations that we know exist but would like to dismiss. Viewed in its entirety, my intent is to stimulate every emotion of the viewer through the use of subject matter, composition, and carefully placed color. With that said, I will describe two pieces of my collection that shows the acute and diverse contrast between all of my works. The first example is entitled “Rabbit Ears”. This piece depicts the rearview of a little girl at a candy counter wanting to purchase candy. As she stands in front of the counter, a clerk towers over her. In each of her hands she pinches the tips of her turned out pockets indicating that she has no money to purchase the candy (hence, ‘Rabbit Ears’). My second example is entitled “Hush Little Baby”. The power of this piece is the title itself. Initially, just by its name, it would appear that this piece has a pleasant undertone. However, “Hush Little Baby” touches the heartstrings of everyone. The title shows the spin or twist of how things may appear but is not what it seems. I feel that the titles in my collection are just as impacting; stimulating the viewer’s imagination. “Hush Little Baby”, depicts a setting of a crack addicted mother in a smoke-filled room, lying back on a sofa with a glowing crack pipe in one hand, while her other hand presses down on a pillow beside her. As the viewer closely observes the painting, it shows a baby’s foot dangling from underneath the pillow that the mother is pressing down on. However disturbing, I feel that this particular piece addresses real situations that exist today. These two examples are a small view into the complexity and versatility of my collection. In summary, I can truly say that although my journey has been difficult and challenging at times; my collection will ultimately reveal my most inner thoughts and define who I am as an artist. “An artist is an individual that through the use of sound, movement or a visual means manipulates one’s emotions, influences beliefs, defies logic and reveals the soul of one’s self”. –Marvin Ford
