between the joke and me
2022-2023

between the joke and me is an experiment in letting go of an idea by overthinking it.   

 

The idea that the meaning of a work of art is not determined by the artist’s intention, but rather by the viewer’s interpretation* has heavily informed my thinking on painting since my student years. It’s a liberating, democratic concept in one sense, allowing for infinite correct interpretations of a work of art and transferring the meaning-making power of art from artist to viewer. 

 

In another, more self-centered sense: if each viewer’s unique interpretation is correct then the least qualified person to speak on the meaning of my work is me. So, I eventually found myself more and too preoccupied with what it meant for me to continue packing my paintings with layers of meaning I ultimately expected—even encouraged!—not to be unpacked by the viewer as I intended. 

 

Overstimulated, I played a game. The rules were simple: nothing leads back to me (I know nothing), nothing means anything anymore, and everyone wins. 

 

I collected still images from movies I’ve never seen, historical documents, thrifted family photos, descriptions of other peoples’ dreams, and any other source of imagery, ephemera, or visual media I could find in keeping with the first rule. Without knowing the original context of this source material and following rule #2, I dismantled, shuffled, and restructured these images randomly** to form the basis for narrative paintings void of intentional meaning. 

 

Whether it’s an experiment, game, or just an in-joke, the heart of between the joke and me is in its surreal, mysterious scenes that beg for explanation where none can be given: I have no idea what these paintings are supposed to mean, your guess is as good—but not better—than mine.***

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* (Roland Barthes, paraphrased from Google)

** As randomly as possible when rules are needed to ensure things get done randomly

*** Rule #3

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