What Light Remains in the Absence is an ode to the weight of light and the presence of absence. The images are arranged to build loose narratives with enough space between them to leave room for the imagination.

Growing up in the lush urban environment of the San Francisco Bay Area helped shape my artistic voice. An early interest in mythology has led to a poetic interpretation of my surroundings, as well. As an adult I've fought to cultivate a sense of child-like wonder about the world. I take influence from authors like Haruki Murakami and Neil Gaiman and attempt to find a visual corollary to their brand of magical realism. With an eye on poetry and metaphor, my artwork stems from a subtle sensitivity to light and deals with the transformation that can occur when the everyday world is carefully considered.

The Book

The book version of this show is more than just a catalogue. It is a collaborative work between myself and four writers: Craig Foltz, Eoin P. Galvin, Joe Meno and Karen Russell. I approached these writers with an invitation to write a piece influenced by and meant to go along with my images. The idea is to have several different people’s interpretations of the images so as to present multiple ideas behind the work rather than a single story telling you what the work should be about. Each story or poem presents a different person’s interpretation of the work, and will hopefully allow the viewer to look at my work in a different light. I invite you to take the time to sit in the gallery and read the stories.

The works by Craig Foltz, Eoin P Galvin and Karen Russell were all created to accompany these images.

The story by Joe Meno was previously published and chosen by me for inclusion in the book.

The Exhibition

Click here for installation shots of the exhibition from Northlight Gallery in Tempe, AZ from April 2009.