Donald.dixon@alumni.rmcad.edu

ARTIST STATEMENT

I create what I consider “fire” paintings; these pieces are the aftermath between fire and canvas. These are based around ideas of the impermanence of man and the continuity of the world. Fire is one of the most powerful primal forces on this planet. Fire destroys as much as it creates; it gives life as easily as it can take it away. These pieces are meant to evoke feelings of transition; of the beginning and of the end. I want to envelop my paintings with the idea that I can create something beautiful out of such a destructive force. The images you are seeing are just the aftermath of the fire; an echo of the action that took place. Everything in this world is transitory; it will all come and go, leaving something new in its place.

When I paint using oils, it is fear that comes out, a fear of the unknown, of what will be waiting for me in the not-too-distant future. It is in these pieces that a dreamlike world becomes reality. This is a fear that comes from questioning my morals and beliefs, and one that hopes for something better, but knows it might never come.