As road surface, asphalt is solid, black, rough and hard; as a sculptural medium it expresses gesture and momentum in dramatic strokes and holds its mass in carefully controlled territories. Starting as a viscous brown paste scooped from a bucket, it dries and darkens to a deep black, rock hardness. This work elevates street asphalt to a fine art material.
Freeform, hand sculpted compositions like Interchange are inspired by Abstract Expressionist and Japanese Gutai mark-making, contrasting the materiality and mood of working-class asphalt with cotton art canvas, raw silk or linen.
Phalt Lines present barely disciplined, uneven grids sliced through thickly battered asphalt with rough jute twine. Asphalt Geometry pieces engage the thick material in crisp, controlled conversation with enamel colors on stained wood panel.
Raised in Los Angeles, the quintessential city of car culture, surrounded by miles of the stuff, I’m taking the pavement of streets and parking lots to the wall in these sculptural paintings. Made in L.A.
(click individual image to enlarge)
Interchange 36” x 72” asphalt on raw canvas
#1 sold #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 sold
Asphalt Expressionism Smalls 1–6, each: asphalt on stretched raw silk, 7” x 9” x 1”
Yellow Phalt Lines, Red Phalt Lines each 20” x 20”
asphalt, acrylic, enamel & jute twine on canvas over panel
Silver Phalt Lines, Copper Phalt Lines each 20” x 20”
asphalt, acrylic & jute twine on canvas over panel
Gold Grid 12” x 9”
asphalt and acrylic on birch panel
Green Grid 12” x 9”
asphalt and acrylic on birch panel
Pink Grid 12” x 9”
asphalt and acrylic on birch panel
sold
Asphalt Geometry each 12” x 9”
asphalt, sign-painting enamel, spray, gouache
and wood stain on birch panel
Black Vector, Convergence each 12” x 9”
(L) asphalt and gouache on birch panel
(R) asphalt, oil and chrome spray on birch panel
Aftermath 36” x 50” asphalt on raw canvas
20” x 24” asphalt on raw linen 18” x 14” asphalt on raw linen 18” x 14” asphalt on raw linen
13” x 14” asphalt on raw linen sold 11” x 8” asphalt on raw linen 14” x 12” asphalt on raw linen sold 11” x 9” asphalt on raw silk