| "I have my sacred and my profane" Much of my work revolves around fantasy - an escape from the frustrations of reality. This escape is my way of dealing with the outside world; it may only involve reading a book or watching a movie. Yet, sometimes I must put my hand to paper and vent my thoughts and feeling through my artistic fantasies; which is not unlike making a confession to myself, giving me moments of self-discovery. Most of these subjects center on celebrities, such as Elixir. At the same time, my repeated use of these subjects creates a consumable quality and their value becomes liquid. I return to them again and again, which robs them of their extraordinary characteristics. They can be found anywhere and I can do anything to them. In the same way as soccer, horse racing, Mtv, or ESPN, my artwork is a form of substitute gratification. This is something that all people do; everyone is a "fan" of someone. Then there are those rare occasions where I do some artwork that keeps me grounded. I am held to the real world, my family and friends, and my past by documenting my memories and other things I hold dear. These images, such as my cat or his sacrificial offering of a captured bird, remind me of who I am and where I have been in life. These are sacred subjects to me, not to be abused or forgotten. My cat is depicted as a noble being; my horses are treasures of my past and undocumented ghosts of my future. This is also something that all people do; everyone has something they consider "hallowed." In my work I am speaking of the Sacred and the Profane. It is the definition of religion, and is something that everyone has in one form or another. Here, it is spoken in the imagery that is the language of my imagination. - Tiell May 6, 2005 |
