Artist Statement

While living in San Francisco’s SoMa (South of Market), I witnessed the changes taking place in this redeveloping neighborhood and found myself enchanted by the rich architectural history of that area and the decayed beauty that remains. My fascination with domes, towers, sacred and municipal structures began with daily observations of the Golden Gate Theatre at Sixth and Market. Since the late 1990’s, I’ve painted the facades of both iconic city landmarks and downtown buildings and continue to incorporate them into my new works.

When I first moved to the South of Market, warehouses were a prominent feature of the neighborhood. What I've loved most about SoMa and Mid-Market is the diverse styles of architecture, from Beaux-Arts tradition and Art Deco inspired, to factory and industrial sites and now in contrast with new high-rise and commercial buildings that continue to be built and expand for a new city. Many of the fantastic landmarks on Market Street between 5th and 9th Streets had been abandoned for decades and some have been restored and others are still in need for conservation. It is hoped one day we will see these storefronts and theatres glowing with neon lights again!

These paintings pay homage to the central city's building facades of both old and new. Notable landmarks I've painted, include the Original Fox Theatre, the Warfield, Hibernia Bank, the Old Mint, Old Emporium dome, Furniture and Carpets, the Golden Gate Theatre, the thermal plants of 6th and Jessie Streets, the Federal Building, The Marriott Hotel, and the new high-rise additions in SoMa.

My latest SoMa paintings were originally conceived from photographing at the 12th floor of SOMA Grand (a building located at Market and 8th Streets), and where I witnessed the panoramic views that capture the South of Market and beyond. Many of the sites featured, I’ve painted before, and some are seen individually and while others collectively. In my cityscapes, I sense the presence of the silent stage uninterrupted by inhabitants. These paintings highlight the exteriors of complete structures and also depict architectural fragments. Their style is largely abstract. Playfulness of forms, juxtaposed against painterly skies. Painted by bright colors opposing to its usual grey fog and in the hopes to bring an uplift from the blight that has been present. My works speaks about the possibility of growth and renewal, exploring architectural practice as both imagination and reality. A marvelous city, that is in constant flux.

While living in San Francisco’s SoMa (“South of Market”), I found myself enchanted by the rich architectural history of that area and the decayed beauty that remains. And even though I’ve moved to the coastal town of Sausalito, located a few miles away from downtown, I've continued to paint facades of iconic city landmarks, some of them refurbished and put back into active use, some of them still-handsome abandoned buildings.

Those paintings are my celebration of a suddenly rich city that looked to an ever-expanding future. From 2008 to 2010, I developed a new series of paintings, Tomorrowland Today. This new series was inspired by Disney’s Space Mountain ride, and by futuristic, classical, and industrial architecture; the specific point of departure was finding photographs of circus arenas in Romania and Ukraine. The structures I've brought together in these paintings also include coliseums, citadels, and roller coasters. My father was an architect and worked for Walt Disney Imagineering during the 1970s and 1980s, and while I was a child, I visited Disney World every summer. It was there that I was first fascinated by amusement parks. I am still captivated by Disney’s Epcot Center and the Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland, and in particular by the Space Mountain ride, which has become an American icon for kids and adults.

I see resemblances between Space Mountain and another structure, a circus building in the city of Dnepr, Ukraine, a city that became Russia's major center of steel production early in the 20th century. Dnepr has also been an important center of aerospace and nuclear-weapons development; in that sense it is a city of the technological future. Not an amusement-park Tomorrowland, but a real one. There are similarities between the two buildings' design and also in their function as places of entertainment. For this series I have created my own version of the Dnepr circus building, which appears as a spaceship and recurs in many of these paintings, acting as a unifying element.

My Tomorrowland paintings highlight the exteriors of complete structures, but also depict architectural fragments and decorative elements. Their style, another unifying element in this series, is largely abstract. Individual elements have sharp, precise edges, highlighted by bright, flat colors. The style has more in common with the abstraction of architectural drawing than with realistic painting.

These imaginary cityscapes are a mixture of old and new constructions from various places, East and West. I have sought to bring centuries of utopianism and hope for the future together in a fantasized present, as that present might be created in an architect's or a painter's vision. Designing an amusement park for Disney Imagineering has something in common with designing the new landscape of the aerospace industry, and by now the futuristic designs of both Disney and aerospace have become part of the human imagination.

For the past decade, I’ve painted the forgotten treasures of the GGIE (The Golden Gate International Exposition) of 1939 – the last world’s fair of San Francisco Bay!

The GGIE was a mirage of architectural beauty, of magnificent monuments dramatically lit at night in glowing colors. The architecture of this exposition drew aesthetics from blending the features of ancient civilizations of the Pacific basin: Mayan, Incan, Cambodian, and styles of the orient and intermingled with Art Deco, Bauhaus and Romanesque. Located at Treasure Island, between San Francisco and Oakland, the fair’s purpose was to promote peace and international cooperation; it was also a celebration of San Francisco’s two new bridges – The Bay and Golden Gate which launched the city’s role as the "gateway to the Pacific”. And with great promise, the theme of the fair was pacific unity.

In 2005, I painted my first piece relating to the expo, titled “Magic City”- inspired by a postcard book that featured imagery of the façade of the Arch of Triumph that stood at the Court of Reflections. My intent was to re-capture an enchanting scene of this illuminated arch set against a copper red sky. I was fascinated by the arch form as I’ve painted arches before and this one stands out on its own and offers a wondrous joy and mystery. From this first image, it opened me to explore more about the GGIE and the beautiful monuments to create a new series.

I began researching and collecting ephemera and photos of the fair to learn more about the history and vision behind the creations. And especially after visiting an exhibition for the 70th anniversary of the GGIE that was held at the Presidio. While there, I was saddened to view the blown-up photos of the fair seen blurry and without the sharp illumination that truly captured the Magic City. I knew it was important to paint and commemorate these prominent sites.

And in particular, I was captivated by Ralph Stackpole’s colossal 80-foot statue of Pacifica, the iconic figure of the fair, representing world peace and Pacific unity. Her hands were shown in a universal open palm greeting, and her skirt was embellished with abstract musical instruments. Once erected for the fair, she stood at the Court of Pacifica, lit by beams of orange and blue at night. She was a goddess, brilliant in white. She would be seen by 16 million visitors before her destruction. As the war in Europe heated up, various participating countries had to close their exhibits and the Magic City could not be sustained. The fair closed on September 29th, 1940.

My paintings (oils on canvas) pay tribute to Pacifica. In this homage, several of the paintings feature the evolution of her painted face, from start to finish. Even though I’m using the same rigid lines of the sculpture, Pacifica comes to life in different ways by applying different color palettes, like make-up. She can serve a futuristic robotic to old world mystic look, with the emotions ranging from the strong and diplomatic to a soft understanding welcoming, just like that of the Statue of Liberty. They’re hypnotic, dream-like portraits.

I had the pleasure to have exhibited my first painting of Pacifica titled “Tribute to Pacifica” in 2014 to join the program’s celebration of the 75th anniversary of the fair at Treasure Island with Treasure Island Museum, and followed by creating posters of “Tribute to Pacifica” with TI museum. In 2015, I painted the face of Pacifica on a gallery wall at Langton Alley in San Francisco. Throughout the last 7 years, I’ve participated with “SF History Days” at the Old Mint, as well as other exhibitions in the city.

In 2018 to 2019, I collaborated with Christie Nelson, a dear friend and author of “Beautiful Illusion” - a historical novel based on the 1939’s Golden Gate International Exposition at Treasure Island. Christie and I shared memorable events where we gave talks about her book and my paintings of the GGIE, which included events held at Treasure Island Museum, the Mechanics Institute, O’Hanlon Arts and at the SF Public Library. I was beyond honored to have showcased my paintings of Pacifica and other notable structures of the fair during the 2019 exhibit “Illusion and the Magic City” in celebration of the 80th anniversary of the GGIE, held at the San Francisco Public Library. Those works were on display at the Skylight room at SF History Center and accompanied by the library’s archives and ephemera of the fair. In 2021, I joined the Pacifica Historical Society (a fabulous institution embracing the history of the coastal town of Pacifica which also include about Pacifica statue!) and contributed Limited Editions of my orginal paintings of Pacifica to be offered at the museum’s gift shop. I am looking forward to painting and honoring Pacifica and the GGIE!