oil spill-British Petroleum

I create art mostly from recycled materials, using acrylic, mixed media, and collage techniques on canvas and other materials. I use discarded magazines, postcards, advertisements, and promotional materials in my work and utilize the subliminal messages contained within them. I create a fusion between painting and background materials and I enjoy the interplay between my creations and the collage imagery I have chosen.

In my work, I try to represent my personal experience growing up in the Domincan Republic as well as that of a recent immigrant to this country. Recent subjects have been traditional carnival scenes from my country, every day life on the streets of Santo Domingo, and the portrayal of Portland’s idiosyncratic culture through portraits and café scenes. Central themes are diversity and the fusion of different ideas and cultures. Ultimately, I try to tap into universal concepts and feelings, things that are accessible across cultures.

I think that diversity is the first step in creating any artistic or cultural movement. The next step is fusion of ideas and cultures to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. When groups are divided and maintain only their separate identities, they are unable to transcend and enrich the larger society. In my work and life as an artist, I try to reach beyond borders and languages to find a way of communicating that is at the same time playful and universal.