Fabrics are a fundamental aspect of the aesthetics of all societies.
Several years ago I began to make paintings representing familiar
textile patterns. My paintings are optical, abstract compositions
and at the same time refer to the associations the individual viewer
has to the particular fabric.

Initially I painted a number of swatches in glen-plaids and herring-
bones worn by my grandmother, thinking of these abstractions as
portraits that represented her style or “look.” For me, these fabrics
inspired more memories of her than any photograph. In this way, I
became interested in the concept of representing a person through
the representation of a textile.

Next I worked on a series of paintings based on the wardrobes of
wives of American Presidents. A First Lady’s style (or lack thereof)
attracts public attention. But the clothes these women wear also
reflect the social climate and political priorities of the administration
of which she is a part.

For example, Jacqueline Kennedy utilized her wardrobe to craft an
image of glamour and elegance for her husband’s administration. She
recognized the power of the new medium of television and realized
that solid colors photograph better than prints. She consciously selec-
ted her clothes to enhance her image when photographed, solidifying
the image of txxhe "Camelot" era of the Kennedy White House.

Nancy Reagan was determined to return a sense of style and formality
to the presidency, which she believed had been neglected during the
Carter administration. Commentators saw her expensive and flamboyant
clothes as a reflection of the ebullient 1980’s “Trickle-down Economics.”

My current series of portraits is based on characters from novels. Unlike
the clothes worn by my grandmother or a particular First Lady, a charac-
ter in a novel is composed of language and only becomes concrete in the
mind of the reader. My interpretation of the characters and their style
adds an additional layer of abstraction to what is already an abstracted
portrayal.

In addition to representing the costume of a character, I am interested
in representing the decorative objects that surround and define the
world in which the characters exist. For me, these objects are like the
still-life elements in a traditional portrait. They speak to the character of
the person I am portraying by representing his or her taste, and the
social position he/she occupies or aspires to.