2016, 24″ x 36″, acrylic on specially-prepared canvas
Some stories are told in ink. Some are told in paint.
Skin and Bones
I created DREAM 103, especially for the SKIN AND BONES Exhibit at the 2016 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
One afternoon in the summer of 2016, motorcycle photographer Micheal Lichtner and I were chatting about art and motorcycles. He mentioned putting together his annual exhibit at the Buffalo Chip.
Michael mentioned that the exhibit’s theme was to be Skin & Bones. Skin to represent tattoos, and bones to represent motorcycles. He asked if I had any pieces that featured both of those. I didn’t.
I’ve seen that over and over throughout the years. As a young man, I considered becoming a tattoo artist. But instead, my art took me in another direction. First as a graphic designer, then a wall artist/muralist for Hollywood Video, and then on to my epic motorcycle paintings.
Today, my art embodies my passion for America’s motorcycles and inspiring lifestyle. Like tattoos, my paintings tell stories of individuality, freedom, and remembrance.
Tattoos are a Healing Form of Art
Aside from cave paintings and early wall art, tattoos are among the earliest art forms. We collect them to celebrate our passions, spirituality, and memories and mark accomplishments. Each shares a story and connects us.
I got my first tattoo in 2007. After considering it for a long time, I knew it had to be something profound that meant enough to me to wear for the rest of my life. After all, tattoos are a permanent statement.
When my father passed away in 2001, I knew I wanted to somehow pay homage to him through art. Since I had considered getting a tattoo for years, it seemed like the obvious choice, but it took me a while after his passing to resolve how I would commemorate his memory. We shared a passion for motorcycles and often rode together. He was a charismatic man of optimism, creativity, and new beginnings. So, in many ways, was a Phoenix.
My ink needed to be a joyous remembrance and unforgettable. I decided on a mighty Phoenix symbolizing my birthplace, where my father’s journey ended, and my rise from the ashes to a new beginning. And while he is long gone, my ink is a daily reminder to be the best new me.
The original painting is in a private collection.
DREAM 103 PROVENANCE
- Currently on tour with the LUSTER: Realism and Hyperrealism in Contemporary Automobile and Motorcycle Painting Exhibition, 2018-2025
- Skin & Bones Motorcycle and Art Exhibition at Buffalo Chip 2016
Luster Exhibition
Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, cars and motorcycles have been ubiquitous on the nation’s streets and highways and in the film, top forty hits, and paintings. However, with the emergence of photo-realism in the 1960s, motor vehicles assumed a unique distinction as subject matter in American art’s iconography.