Untitled paintings and drawings ` Legion Thornleigh ` circa 2001-2003 Most of these paintings were done whilst I lived in Williamsburg Brooklyn with a Brazilian by the name of Aturo Machado, a photographer, straight and very unaware of his beauty . He spoke to me of deserts in Brazil, deserts that were inhabited by strange cities and people.
I was new to painting and imagined these `deserts` and the cities that dwelled deep within and fantasied about what life would be lead there.
Our apartment was the top floor of an old defunct bakery, the bottom floor was our italian-american landlord and his son. The old store front was being used as a ` club ` for older italian - american men gathered to discuss I don't know what..
They had 2 ferocious and literally rabid dogs that would chase you up the stairs if you were unfortunate to have been caught heading up the stairs at the same time as their `walk` (3 minutes in the backyard to relieve themselves)... it was terrifying and made me feel that our place was indeed an oasis where good food, wine and thoughts were swapped, admist the chaos and absolute noise of Brooklyn.
Often I would put my music on loud so as not to hear the rabble and make these works, perched on the end of my futon. Splattering paint on the floor and charcoal, but it didn't matter.
These works are the result.