Emergence and Imagination
This series consists of images that may appear abstract at first, but on closer inspection, reveal surreal, photoreal scenes. Though not part of the historical Abstract Surrealism movement, the work is informed by it, both in its blending of abstraction and realism, and in its invitation for the mind to interpret what it sees.
Mall Where - 2010
Mall Where explores a speculative future in which humanity has transcended material scarcity, solved its fundamental problems, and evolved new forms of being unconstrained by traditional embodiment. In such a world, one of the few meaningful pursuits remaining is the creation and appreciation of art, music, and experience. Artistic expression becomes a primary mode of existence, permeating every aspect of life, from architecture and fashion to personal embodiment and social interaction.
At first glance, the image appears abstract and graphic. But on closer inspection, it reveals a surreal, photoreal scene, like something the mind might briefly construct when projecting meaning onto abstraction. The result is a visual paradox: a synthetic world that mirrors both our current desires and their potential evolution, for better or weirder.
One interpretation emerged during the process of making the image. It wasn’t planned or preconceived, but surfaced gradually as the forms and composition developed. Like much of my work, it reflects a vision of post-scarcity abundance shaped by technological evolution and cultural strangeness. Other interpretations are encouraged.
A couple ambles through the foreground, clad in custom-fit, polished titanium fashion shells, limited edition, of course. The yellow and brown storefront opens onto a mystical blue tunnel, offering access to a spectrum of curated reality experiences. In the background, a curious child peeks around the corner of a sculptural entry portal and glimpses shoppers browsing the latest in expressive exoskeletal design at the fashion shell dealership.
Mall Where is where to be and go if you want to be somebody, or go somewhere — without the burden of needing to decide which.
At first glance, the image appears abstract and graphic. But on closer inspection, it reveals a surreal, photoreal scene, like something the mind might briefly construct when projecting meaning onto abstraction. The result is a visual paradox: a synthetic world that mirrors both our current desires and their potential evolution, for better or weirder.
One interpretation emerged during the process of making the image. It wasn’t planned or preconceived, but surfaced gradually as the forms and composition developed. Like much of my work, it reflects a vision of post-scarcity abundance shaped by technological evolution and cultural strangeness. Other interpretations are encouraged.
A couple ambles through the foreground, clad in custom-fit, polished titanium fashion shells, limited edition, of course. The yellow and brown storefront opens onto a mystical blue tunnel, offering access to a spectrum of curated reality experiences. In the background, a curious child peeks around the corner of a sculptural entry portal and glimpses shoppers browsing the latest in expressive exoskeletal design at the fashion shell dealership.
Mall Where is where to be and go if you want to be somebody, or go somewhere — without the burden of needing to decide which.
The Riddle - 2010
The Riddle began as a sketchbook drawing and evolved toward the representational and surreal, bridging my abstract dimensional work with narrative form. The image implies a story without explicitly revealing it. Its composition and lighting draw inspiration from Dutch master paintings, surrealism, and classic science fiction comic art.
Rather than designing specific characters or a pre-conceived narrative, the elements emerged improvisationally as I sculpted and arranged them in 3D. The relationships between them formed gradually into a scene infused with tension, ambiguity, and curiosity.
One possible interpretation: In a speculative future, an exoskeletally augmented green suitor has journeyed from afar with his trusty red star, seeking an audience, and perhaps courtship, with the mystical feminine entity said to dwell deep within the translucent pink forest. But the reception is not as expected. The suitor recoils as he encounters the indigo guardian cat-squid and the shiny blue observer blob hovering in the gateway formed by twin techno-trunks. Blocking the path are a spotted translucent protector tree and three thick black barrier vines. Lurking just beyond them, a raspberry-sphere amalgamation watches, and waits. Might she be the mystical feminine entity herself?
Rather than designing specific characters or a pre-conceived narrative, the elements emerged improvisationally as I sculpted and arranged them in 3D. The relationships between them formed gradually into a scene infused with tension, ambiguity, and curiosity.
One possible interpretation: In a speculative future, an exoskeletally augmented green suitor has journeyed from afar with his trusty red star, seeking an audience, and perhaps courtship, with the mystical feminine entity said to dwell deep within the translucent pink forest. But the reception is not as expected. The suitor recoils as he encounters the indigo guardian cat-squid and the shiny blue observer blob hovering in the gateway formed by twin techno-trunks. Blocking the path are a spotted translucent protector tree and three thick black barrier vines. Lurking just beyond them, a raspberry-sphere amalgamation watches, and waits. Might she be the mystical feminine entity herself?
Only The Cage Remains - 2009
Only the Cage Remains began as an experiment in procedural modeling. As often happens in my process, a narrative emerged organically as I created and arranged the forms. The image depicts a group of entities encountering the weathered exoskeleton of one of their own, abandoned in a desert landscape.
The work explores themes of anthropomorphism, the transience of life, and the nature of existence. The figures are purely abstract, procedurally generated with no intentionally designed features of living things, and yet the mind’s impulse to find meaning imbues them with character and agency. They seem to live, to gather, and to mourn.
The work explores themes of anthropomorphism, the transience of life, and the nature of existence. The figures are purely abstract, procedurally generated with no intentionally designed features of living things, and yet the mind’s impulse to find meaning imbues them with character and agency. They seem to live, to gather, and to mourn.