The Proposal.

Nothing like starting off the year with a few solid rejections...but that's just how art goes at this stage of the career. Sometimes it sticks with people...sometimes people pass you by, and all you can do is keep moving, even continuing with some of the rejected proposals...

Now that I'm finishing up my first extensive series in a while for my upcoming show at Parsifal (http://www.facebook.com/events/497252116964998/?ref=ts&fref=ts) I'm returning to a concept that, I think, is well worth doing...and though I might not be able to do it quite as thoroughly as I had originally hoped, I still think it would turn into a great finished product, it will be invaluable for my development as an artist, and, I think, it will become a great investigation into the community, the subject of the proposal, through a contemporary lense...

Milwaukee is a great town for exploring cultural diversity, but much of that culture has always found itself reserved to the traditional, long-established neighborhoods of those ethnic communities.

My project seeks to fix that.

Through a large series of paintings, both large and small scale, along with some public work scattered throughout various neighborhoods, I seek to create a collection of work that expresses the cultural diversity, the history between cultures, and the iconic institutions which stand as testaments to Milwaukee’s extensive and culturally diverse background.

The paintings will address specific buildings, narratives from Milwaukee history, and general culture through symbolism and mark-making, creating a visual depiction of our collective history, understandable and interpretable through each viewers unique experience within the city.

Through our community narratives, our icons and our culture, this project will create a contemporary view of our city, celebrating it’s diverse past, it’s unique present and it’s exciting future and establishing a detailed, informative, and timeless understanding of our community that everyone can enjoy.

And some examples of what the finished pieces could look like (with a focus more toward the history of Milwaukee)