Frosted
This series of paintings focuses on excess. America is the land of super-sized servings and out of control appetites for food and consumer goods. We are the fattest nation in the world.
My particular weakness is sweets. I am a glutton when it comes to cake and icing. I am attracted to the color, the complexity of the decorations, and the smell of sugar. Cake signifies a special celebration, be it a wedding, birthday, retirement, birth, or anniversary. The cake is the way we show our love for others and celebrate togetherness. Any occasion with cake is made more special.
The icing depicted in the paintings is fluid and sometimes haphazard, an indirect reference to abstract expressionism. It gives me an opportunity to explore pure concerns of color and composition, while simultaneously creating a hyper-realistic depiction of a recognizable form which has great personal meaning. Recently I found out I don’t have adequate tolerance for sugar (although I am not diabetic), so the paintings have additionally taken on a new significance: the forbidden.
