Works on VIDEO
A video that tracks the life of a young man and the development of his artist identity and the healing nature of art making and its power to give voice to those who struggle with social anxiety. The video talks about artistic process, coping with life as a teenager, the shifting of religious beliefs, the greater problems in society and the importance of connection with nature.
I decided to make this video of my young self, having lots of artwork from the 1970s and early 1980s that I had produced and old photographs of the time that were taken by myself as a teenager. These artworks were a sort of diary of my high school years. I wanted to at once talk about emotional growth, family, making friends, teen years, mental health, connection to land, and the development of identity through these artworks and photographs.
It is a glimpse into the life and mind of a young man as he navigates the modern adult world. A world he senses in a state of imbalance and how he uses art making to create a center within himself and a skill to navigate this world with.
This video starts a trilogy of videos that track the journey of emotional awareness in a young man as he navigates his world through creativity and creative projects. Of the topics I explore there is the formation of ego and identity, the creative practices that lead to emotional growth and awareness, the importance of a connection to nature, and the role of family, friends, and educational resources.
This trilogy starts with Drawings of a Teenager: 1978-1982, then moves into early young adult years with Frames of Mind: a film student's journey to emotional awareness, and finishing with Jumping Fences: art, healing and becoming Chicano.
These videos tell a coming-of-age story with the backdrop of the San Francisco Bay Area of the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s with photographs and film footage of the times.