Artist’s Statement
“The Demons Within”
My work is an exploration of the darkness that lives within humanity – the seedy underbelly and the creatures that scratch at our closet doors and whisper in our ears at midnight. I draw inspiration from all things horrific whether it be short stories, films, video games, or simply all the terrible news that runs in the daily press. I then let my subconscious blend it all together and squeeze it out of my hand and onto the canvas.
I create monsters because I seek to fulfill both my personal need to exorcise my own demons as well as provide society with something new to fear. Our society looks to demons and otherworldly terrors because it is much more fun to fear these dark beasts rather than fear things that are much more likely to harm us : ourselves and other people.
Humans have created the economy, global warming, institutionalized prejudices, unrenewable energy consumption, domestic violence, and much more. We, most often, are the source of terror for other people and ourselves as well. While I conjure up these frightening visages, are they truly the monsters, or are we?
-02/10/2012
About past series of work:
“Alone in the Dark” is an exploration of the nature of fear. While Beastiarum vocabulum provides the outlet for creating monsters, Alone in the Dark focuses on humans who fall prey to these beasts. focusing on portraiture in a mix of classical realism mixed with 50′s pulp images and a distinctly modern palette, Rick seeks to capture the unease (or sometimes sheer horror) of people who are “alone in the dark.” Whether his figures haven’t realized they’re in danger yet or are already in the clutches of something diabolical, their fates may be implied but are ultimately up to the viewer to decide. Because fear is so personal, by taking the focus away from the demon or chainsaw maniac or other horror, Rick’s goal is to let the viewer conjure up their own greatest fear that lurks just outside of the canvas.