November 2006
Asad Faulwell
Sun Valley, CA
vangogh3331@yahoo.com
ARTIST STATEMENT
My work is inspired by the politics, history, traditions, ethnicity, and music of the most oppressed peoples of the world. I attempt to reference my own multicultural background by combining the freedom of western expression with the eastern cultures and leaders that I have come to admire. I begin each work with a photograph affixed to a blank canvas. I then proceed to apply layer after layer of heavy impasto acrylic paint, spray paint, gesso, colored fabric, glass, wood, ink, and glue. During the process of the painting the photograph is altered, defaced and often completely covered in the same way that the achievements and aspirations of many non-western and indigenous peoples have been misrepresented and often covered up. The message or meaning of each painting is always ambiguous as I believe meaning in life is also highly ambiguous and ever changing. In life many different truths can be held at one time and I believe that many different figures, ideas and themes can be perceived within each of my paintings. It is up to the viewer to determine what subject matter they can see in the painting, if any. The visual quality of the work is of the utmost importance and I meticulously work layer after layer until completely satisfied (or completely frustrated).
