About the Artist and the Art

I studied with a professional Korean artist in San Francisco in 1970, and from him I learned more in one year than ever before or since. He taught me that the one standard by which all art can be judged is the simple criterion of beauty. To the present day I adhere to this standard, and use the basic technology that I learned from Robert Han, known professionally as Nong.

Philosophically I find that the ideas of classical Taoism, the image of the Tai Chi symbol, and the teachings of the I Ching offer most of what I need and use in life.

I take my cue from the photo of the earth in space. My large sphere paintings are free-form mandalas which derive from this image. The sphere, or circle, is also a symbol of spiritual integrity from Chinese antiquity. The circle is easy to draw, and to date these spheres represent practice sketches, akin to musical scales, which enable me to gain control of my materials while contemplating something that is soothing to look at as I work.

There are three realms in which the sense of weightlessness prevails: in the womb, in outer space, and in the mind. The spheres partake of this weightlessness and thus can be described as "zero-gravity art." They can be viewed from any orientation and remain valid. There is also no breakup of the image upon closer inspection of detail. Even under intense magnification there is no point at which the image disintegrates into chaos. The artistry remains united with the material all the way in.

I like to think of myself and my art this way:

I am but one
Of those stout-hearted men
Who come with the dust
And are gone with the wind.