“From the beginning, I was drawn to abstraction. It was the artistic idiom of my time, it seemed to make the broadest philosophical statement, and I loved the aesthetics. Since jazz was also the music of my generation and was energized by the same emotional stimulus as abstract painting, it was no coincidence that I would at some point want to synthesize the shared experience of the two art forms.”
“Jazz has become an integral part of my work. Using it as a metaphor allows me to tap into its deep reservoir of feeling. Employing color and calligraphy as vehicles I begin my search for the essence of the music and what lies beyond. The improvisational reach for beauty by jazz artists such as Lester Young, Johnny Hodges and Sidney Bechet inspires me to explore the same essential qualities.”
“These musical stories provide the initial impetus for my work, but gradually as the painting takes on a life of its own I find myself reaching beyond the music, using it only as a lens to bring something more mysterious, primal and unknown into focus.”
www.steinwaygallery.com
