Statement:

I have been involved in the dance world in one way or another for almost 35 years. I have participated both by creating sets and by dancing myself, on and offstage. I am married to choreographer and dancer Erika Tsimbrovsky. I was introduced to contact improvisation in 2000 and have continued to dance contact ever since. My participation in contact has deepened my understanding of dance. Herein lie the seeds of my inspiration to create a series of dance-themed artwork — paintings and sculptures. 

Devoted to immersion in whatever I’m doing, I dance to the point of being joyful and sweat-soaked, and when I need to rest, I observe the other dancers from outside and make sketches of dancing bodies. This inside-out and outside-in approach yielded the paintings you’re now seeing. I created the series of sketches that led to these paintings over a period of 3 years. I was particularly interested in observing the dynamic of intensity and relaxation in bodies. I was also drawn into the social and collaborative aspect of dance. As a painter, I spend a great deal of time alone. This energy of collaboration and socializing gives me a sense of connection to the universe and to something larger than myself. Because the collective group energy is what draws me to this subject, I do not paint individual faces or details on the dancers. The abstract energy and combination of colors produce the emotional meaning of the work. 

To create a feeling of movement, I work with the unstable form in combination with the dynamic of color. The dynamic of colors / different combinations the bodies disappear and then reappear as I apply the colors to the underlying drawings of bodies. This leads to the viewer’s feeling of movement or movement potential as they experience the paintings. 

This allows me to convey to the viewer of these artworks the sensations and dynamics of my own experience of dancing.