Candy.

Within all the subjects that I’m drawn to there is always a complex set of thoughts and contradictions that compete to reveal a universal truth I suspect is lurking at the root of the image.

In this new series of paintings, I’m exploring those subjects (Candies) that evoke those wonderful memories of our childhood. Candy: with all of its rich colors and sugary sweetness are at once a vehicle for fond memories but also an opportunity to explore some of the more complex issues behind the candy and its aforementioned connections to our past. A friend of mine once lamented what she felt was the evils of corporations to try to infiltrate our shared experiences and memories to facilitate more sales. It was sad she thought that some people will automatically associate McDonalds with good childhood memories, and so encourage future generations to patronize these institutions to maintain that generational connection and flow of revenue. I don’t think there is a person alive who doesn’t know that candy, chocolate bars, and chips are all bad for you, but it is the recurring reference to fond memories that keep these edibles alive in our imagination, and subsequent income for big corporations.

When I was in college, I was very fond of the impressionists, but I had a friend who detested them by declaring that he hated all those bubble gum colors. Such a jarring take did have an impact on me. Firstly, it made me much more aware of color. I started to really appreciate those painters whose palette’s diverged from the ‘bubble gum colors’—Vuillard comes to mind among many others, but it also awakened in me a thirst to understand what draws me to a thing—anything, an image, a book, a person. Looking back though, I think it ironic that I am again drawn to some form of bubble gum colors but for what I hope is for a more mature reason.