There is a specific moment when the thin veneer of civilization is broken and we are no longer looking at an illusion but instead looking at ourselves perceiving it. 

Pictorially, the paintings illuminate an Old Master style; the subjects are posed, the mood is dramatic, but they also exploit and contemporize it; the locus of composition is skewed, the light logic is reversed. Meticulously choreographing a dramatic dynamic between the subject and the space it occupies, the work is able to guide, critique and question the generic way a painting is received. Using obscured installation and subtle shifts of color and light temperature, the viewing experience becomes nuanced and introspective. In doing so, another conversation emerges concerning traditionally voyeuristic compositions, the male gaze, social-sexual empowerment issues and queer feminism. 

The intention is to reify a sort of psychological, reflexive experience, where the thing being viewed demands a self- critical penetration of vision. Ultimately the paintings aim to set up a curious visual experience for the viewer where they can actively engage in reflexive looking.