ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a painter and a dancer/choreographer. The intent of my work is to evoke the unconscious. All of my paintings and choreography are generated by images that suggest specific, underlying content relating to emotional and psychological states of mind. Frequently an idea will come to me in one medium and end up being realized in another. Sometimes I work with parallel content in both mediums at once, each one informing the other. Some of my paintings and choreography are complex, abstract forms while others are clearly narrative suggesting issues of identity and archetypal, human dramas. In my paintings the latter relates to my figurative work and in my choreography, to the structured improvisations.
I think of my paintings as having a Post-Abstract Expressionist/Pop aesthetic. Growing up in the 60’s and 70’s exposed me to Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and Minimalism which all have a huge influence on my work. In addition to this, I am influenced by my biological father George Sears Greene who was an Abstract Expressionist painter and part of the New York and Hamptons art scene. From the time I was sixteen on several vacations were spent visiting galleries and art museums together. I hung out with him while he painted and told me gossipy, sordid stories about the major players in the New York art world. Lots of our time together was spent discussing why a painting “worked” and why “it didn’t”. As a result, at an early age I learned how “to see” and understand “balance”.
All of my work is also informed by my life experience, the natural world, visual art, literature, and the choreography of Nancy Meehan through whom I learned about space, time, movement quality, and how choreography can express the deepest parts of ourselves.
Japanese aesthetics ranging from contemporary street fashion to traditional block prints and kimonos has influenced me as well. The Japanese sense of space and boundaries plays a significant role in the visual and choreographic structures I create.
Some of my paintings are more graphic and outlined while others are looser and more painterly. Particular color choices and extreme color combinations play a primary role in creating the feel of each painting. In my abstract paintings (and choreography) my visual language includes unexpected spatial relationships, and forms that are layered, patterned, and deep, while simultaneously remaining flat. Frequently I construct my work by partially blocking out areas with additional forms so that a sense of depth is created by building outward. Large shapes sit on top of others suggesting that something is hidden behind them, while still revealing some of what is underneath. The image extends off the canvas or performing space in all directions. Forms float, trickle, accumulate, and fall.
The structure and quality of my narrative work frequently involves imaginary portraits or scenes that depict a symbolic drama of some kind. Similarly, my structured dance improvisations refer to individual experiences and human relationships while evoking images of identity, place, and spirituality. Costumes and sculptural installations often accompany these pieces creating a visual landscape for these archetypal episodes.
Staying true to my process is an essential component in the creation of my art. I intend all of my work to have an “over-the-top’, slightly irreverent sensibility while simultaneously evoking dream-like narratives.