The Godzilla Series
“The Godzilla Series” (1994-).
The series was influenced by early interest in Surrealism and their use of unexpected juxtapositions either in painting or poetry. Other influences include early 20th century filmmakers such as David Lynch, artists Caspar David Friederich and Thomas Cole and their imagined constructions to convey spiritual beliefs and concepts.
The inclusion of Godzilla began as a still painting based on several vinyl models in my studio. There was something intriguing about paralleling the cultural significance of Godzilla and its manifestation as a toy and film character with the romantic constructed visions of Cole and Friedrich.
My new work discards the use of imagery from HRS painters and focuses on the image of Godzilla and its seen from behind (a trope often used by Friederich) and its metaphoric entry into the ineffable and unknown, sometimes shocking, playful and mysterious.
