It’s been a long time since my last video. This one was originally recorded via cell-phone by my mother-in-law Holly, of me talking art, writing, and unionism at the Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery. I was thankful to have my piece selected as part of the juried After Hours show.

Below is the list of Q&A presented prior to the exhibit tour, and how I responded, as a supplement to this video.

What is your artist statement:

​Expressing myself visually is the best way to prepare my mind for my other​ art – writing creative non-fiction. I’ve developed a deep love for photography as a way of capturing the shapes of life that inspire my​ words. With both words and ​pictures​, ​ I bridge time and space​; fragments of the world captured from my own perspective. Both media ​allow me to explore the limits of truth ​through the context I’m willing ​- or able – to provide.​ ​I can stare directly into the parallels and paradoxes​ ​of my images, across locations and lunar cycles, mixing my memories ​in an attempt ​to ​create a cohesive narrative about who I am and what the world looks like through my eyes.

What was the project’s backstory:

This piece is the first in a larger collection, five total, that document the winding of one image with another – the process of circumvolution. For me this set of three show the natural degradation of rigidity.

What is your artistic process:

In both writing and photography digital technology allows for virtually unlimited resources; meaning that the infinite monkey theorem is infinitely more realistic today than in the day of typewriters. I go back and forth between film and digital as a way of reminding myself how important intention is when taking photos. If I capture something worth sharing, in words or photos, I want to know I can retrace my steps instead of knowing it was all just dumb luck.

How long have you been making art: 

As long as I’ve been alive. I can’t remember a time I wasn’t creating something that, at worst, might generously have been called art.

How do you find time to make artwork while working a full-time job:

Thanks to the unions I’ve got 8-hours of rest, 8-hours of work, and 8-hours of leisure – at least conceptually. Creativity itself is the obsession, and that can happen anytime during the day, then it is just a matter of execution. If your obsession is strong enough then you use your time creating instead of consuming – be that TV or shopping or eating or whatever. Inspiration is a powerful motivator.