This is a collection of mixed media drawings and paintings that are appearing in the exhinition "Things That Happened and Things We Made Up" at The Compound Gallery, 1167 65th St. Oakland, California. The exhibition runs from February 8th through March 23rd 2014, and also features the work of artists Alison Tharp and Liam Golden.
Artist Statement:
“Truth, they say, is stranger than fiction. And that statement certainly feels like the truth to me. The alarming fact is, that in the mad pantomime of modern existence, the things that we make up have almost invariably happened at some time to someone somewhere. And, because we constantly tell ourselves stories to justify and explain the bizarre and treacherous things that we do daily, things that have happened almost invariably include things that we have also made up. Does any of that make sense? I hope not.
The resulting smörgåsbord of absurdity is my contribution to this show. It’s an ongoing attempt to create large truths from small fictions– another catalog of the guilty pleasures, bizarre minutiae and regrettable incidents that punctuate lives lived with quiet desperation and filled with bitter remorse. Of course everything you see here is true. You really can’t make this stuff up."
“The Way Things Are”
Mixed media on wood panel, 24 inches x 30 inches, 2014.
“The World Has Gone Insane, And We Don’t Know What Is Right”
Mixed media on found driftwood, 14 inches x 7 inches, 2014.
“Dancing Cheek to Cheek”
Mixed media on paper mounted in found antique frame, 14 inches x 16 inches,
“With Friends Like These”
Mixed media on found canvas board, 16 inches x 12 inches, 2013.
“The Trouble with Unlimited Possibilities”
Mixed media on canvas, 24 inches x 36 inches, 2013.
“Your Hidden Attributes”
Mixed media on cardboard mounted on wood panel, 13.5 inches x 12 inches, 2013.
“The Craftsman of Destruction”
Mixed media on cardboard divider, 18 inches x 12 inches, 2013.
“Superstars Of BMX”
Mixed media on canvas board mounted on wood block, 14 inches x 11 inches, 2013.
“Suspending Our Disbelief”
Mixed media on paper mounted in found antique frame, 10 inches x 11 inches, 2013.
“You Will Miss Me When I Burn”
Mixed media on canvas board mounted on wood block, 11 inches x 14 inches, 2013.
“Silent Night”
Mixed media on cardboard mounted on wood panel, 11 inches x 8.5 inches, 2013.
“The Relentless Pursuit of Excellence”
Mixed media on canvas board mounted on wood block, 11 inches x 14 inches, 2014.
“The Miracles of Technology Change Our Perception of the World”
Mixed media on cardboard mounted on wood panel, plus online component, 6 inches x 7 inches, 2014.
“Those Who Trespass Against Us”
Mixed media on board, 15 inches x 18 inches, 2013.
“Group Therapy”
Mixed media on cardboard, mounted on wood block, 10.5 inches x 15 inches, 2013.
"The Corner of 34th & No Going Back"
Mixed media on cardboard mounted on wood block, 14 inches x 9 inches, 2013
