My work reflects the time I spend at sea as a merchant marine, commercial fisherman, and sailor. I typically use a camera as my notebook while at sea, then recreate these experiences through the use of paint when back in the studio. On longer jobs, such as in the container-ship work, I paint in my cabin in what spare time I can find.
A current series has taken inspiration from 18th century etchings that were the result of South Pacific exploration by Europeans, a time when artists were first being employed by ships to record their encouters. My aim is to recreate the style of these historical works through ink on paper, while infusing imagery and ideas that stem from my own time at sea. In some works I sample from this canon, juxtaposing a historical figure perhaps, with a character I have met in my own travels. I hope that my art works touch on the complexity of a globalized economy and the effects it has on humans, animals, and the environment.
Thanks for checking out my work. For interest in purchasing original works please contact K. Imperial Fine Art (link here) in San Francisco or in Los Angeles Cordesa Fine Art I have a limited number of etching prints left that you can see here in the shop section of the site.
Born: 1980, San Jose, CA
Current Home-Port: San Francisco
Education
2007 MFA The San Francisco Art Institute
2003 BFA UC Santa Barbara
Upcoming Exhibitions…
Jan 2017 Museo Italo Americano, San Francisco, CA (Two Person Show with Jen Celio)
April 2017 Cordesa Fine Art, Los Angeles CA (Solo)
Selected Exhibitions
2016
Un Oceano Entre Nos, Festival Teatro Container, Valparaiso Chile
Burning Ice, Euphrat Museum of Art, Cupertino CA
Onshore Winds Offshore Accounts, Seeing Things Gallery, San Jose CA (Solo)
2015
An Ocean Between Us, K. Imperial Fine Art, San Francisco CA (Solo)
Hunky Dory, K. Imperial Fine Art, San Francisco, CA
Six Degrees, FFDG, San Francisco CA
Tired Hands, Good Mother Gallery, Oakland, CA
Companions, Seeing Things Gallery, San Jose CA
Benefit For The Artists, Incline Gallery, San Francisco CA
2014
Everybody’s Ocean, The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz CA
It Was Nature, RVCA, San Francisco CA
California Academy of Sciences, Art Night, San Francisco CA
The Sea Provides, Imogen Gallery, Astoria OR (Two Person Show with Corey Arnold)
Salt The Skies, FFDG, San Francisco CA
2013
Locals Only, RVCA, San Francisco CA
This Will Never Work, Southern Exposure, San Francisco CA
The Dead of Winter, Oakland Surf Club, Oakland, CA
Shark Love Inc. PangeaSeed, The Box Jelly, Honolulu, HI
Museo Diego Rivera Anahuacalli, Mexico City, Mexico
Underwater, Roll Up Gallery, San Francisco, CA
All At Sea, Arts At Marks, Honolulu, HI
2012
Más Cara, Tequisquiapan Mexico
Days To Come, 5 Claude Lane, San Francisco, CA
(Solo Show) Too Far Gone, Gallery Hijinks, San Francisco, CA
The Clipperton Project, Glasgow Sculpture Studios, Scotland
The Spanglish Armada, Establish, San Francisco, CA
2011
As It Was Before, Gallery Hijinks, San Francisco, CA
“Breaking Ranks” The Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito, CA
2010
Boom Juried Exhibition, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA
(Solo)Reflections Adrift, Heart, San Francisco, CA
2009
Divining Nature, Antelope Valley College, CA
Inaugural Desacreatures, The Space Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2008
Save The Waves 111 Minna, San Francisco, CA
Grounded? Juried Show, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA
2007
Notthatbalai Art Festival 07, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Vernissage, San Francisco Art Institute MFA Graduate Exhibition, Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA
2006
RIFNM06 The 1st Reno Interdisciplinary Festival of New Media, University of Nevada, Reno, NV (guest lecture)
Upgrade: Photographic Works, Paintings, and Films, Swell Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Press
New York Times Magazine Jan 2016
Juxtapoz Magazine April 2015
New American Paintings Pacific Edition 2014
Sea Work and Experience
–Currently holding a USCG licensed 100 ton Master and an “AB” Able Bodied Sailor endorsement. I am a member of the Sailors Union of the Pacific and the Kvichak Setnetters Assosication. In my years in the maritime industry I have worked on a wide range of vessels, from a tall-ship and modern sailing charters, to commercial fishing boats, container ships and oil spill cleanup ships. Currently my year is typically split between some shipping work on international containerships and my summer season in Alaska fishing commercially for salmon.
