My life’s work, a body of acrylic painting spanning the last half-century, reflects a fusion of both folk and pop art. As “Contemporary Folk Art Pop,” it embodies elements of folk art through centuries worldwide and incorporates pop culture icons as message carriers (and alter egos) for social commentary. Through this amalgamation, I express how I feel about being alive, about the past, present, and the ephemeral unknown.

 

Action-packed narratives and titles play a large part in my work – as do the use of humor, parody, and allusion. For subject matter, I draw from dreams, jokes, family history, current and ancient events, famous people and paintings, mythology, and my imagination. Stylistically, I use a saturated color palette, hard lines, and flat surfaces to attract the observer to my messages and intent. Besides visual enjoyment, I also wish to provoke thought, evoke humor, and pose messages for problem solving and hope.

 

Self-taught, I have studied many master artists such as Chagall, Kahlo, Modigliani, Picasso, Rousseau, Van Gogh, and Warhol. In addition, the painters of the Yugoslavian Primitive School, the iconography of the Catholic church, and the art of David Bradley of New Mexico have been major influences.

 

My Polish ancestry is infused in much of my artwork. One of my longest running series, Selling My Own Grandmother, features one of my Polish grandmothers, Anna Andryc. A powerful figure, she spoke a language I didn’t understand, and her past was seldom mentioned in either English or Polish. She appears as an archetype, a symbol of the resilience, inherent strength, and imagination of the Immigrant–American experience. Her adventures – and misadventures – touch upon the best and worst in the human condition. I am hopeful that her antics will bring joy, healing, and direction to a world seemingly gone awry.