The Fallen Angels

During the rebellion against Heaven, the contumacious angels fell. Fiery and lost within their descent, they realize the true cost of their defiance.

To me, this was the perfect metaphor for living a life in total opposition to the expectations and restraints society imposes upon us. Yet there is a heavy price to pay for such thoughts and ideas. It means to be ostracized from society in general and to live among the fringes of their world. It means to live in adversity and to become of the shadows.

Hell is defined by experience. As Milton wrote "The mind is its own place and in itself can make a hell of heaven, a heaven of hell." What many would perceive to be an existence analogous to damnation or as my priest would have said "void of God," I have found the most rewarding and majestic of loves. To me a true heaven within hell.

For the FALLEN ANGELS series, I have chosen a visual vocabulary derived from greatly varied sources in the hopes of weaving together an accurate portrayal of this dichotomy of spirit. A blurring of "good and evil," rebellion and commitment, struggle and sanctuary, and of ecstasy and pain. An ever colliding world of contradictions. This then is the world I have chosen.

Specifically, there are seemingly incongruent influences from religion iconology and medical instrumentation to sadomasochistic accouterments. The religious themes are more metaphoric than literal. As an extension of these issues and how they apply to ultimate love, I have incorporated some of the visual vocabulary from my DARK WORKS series. Within the context of the DARK WORKS, the bondage and sadomasochistic imagery was used strictly as metaphor, intended to show the restrictions and smothering consequences of a destructive relationship. Within the FALLEN ANGELS series, this same imagery took on a more literal interpretation. For me this imagery evokes a darker side of love. Just as valid an expression of love and based on complete and total trust. It was a complete reversal of interpretation from the previous body of work. My use of medical implements began to surface toward the end of the series. It was a direct response to watching the one I love experience extreme pain and disability as a result of a severe back injury. All the tests, operations, and uncertainty left an indelible mark upon me, leaving me to question what purpose such suffering could possibly have. Because of this, metaphoric images of pain abound within the FALLEN ANGELS.

The impression I hope one takes away from these works is threefold. A combination of love, tragedy, and above all else, a sense of hope in defiance of this adversity.

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