From Issue 103 — GIALOGY: The Science of Me. A New Medium. A Rebellion.

In 1994, I studied with an inspirational rabbi in Israel; before long, I was painting fictitious portraits of orthodox rabbis, a stylistic breakthrough for me. The elongated, bearded visage of this rabbi conveyed so much history and so much wisdom. I felt I couldn’t do him justice without giving him a mouth. In recent times, I’ve had a strong need for my peaceful rabbis to confront some serious issues and put their mouths to use by engaging in meaningful dialogue.

Seeking ways to bring new life into my portraiture, I turned to still life. I began painting objects, crowns, books, musical instruments, and, most often, food on the heads of my subjects. These “hats” give my portraiture another dimension: sometimes surreal, sometimes humorous, and many times suggestive of a larger story line.

So I’m turning 60 on July 2, 2025 and I figured why not celebrate with a retrospective? An exhibition that shows the trajectory of my artwork since 1985. Even though my styles and techniques are always evolving, my subject matter has basically stayed on a narrow track. In a sense, all my artwork is directly linked to my very first forehead portrait. This is one reason people who bought my art in the early 1990s can easily recognize my work today. When I started my forehead series back at Emerson College/Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston, I remember thinking, “what would happen if I painted foreheads for the rest of my life?” It’s a question I’m still asking today.

But the answer might be in this Picasso quote that I came across when I was living in New Orleans in the late 1980s and have held onto all these years:

“Forcing yourself to use restricted means is the sort of restrain that liberates invention. It obliges you to make a kind of progress that you cannot even imagine in advance.”

The idea of a retrospective appeals to me because it makes it easy to assess that progress by exhibiting 40 years of my art in one place. From my imaginary portraits to the realistic ones, from my mythical rabbis to my fictitious animals, from the Statue of Liberty to historical figures, my main objective has always been to create an arresting image. And after all these years, I’m still doing it (in my mind, at least) through the prism of my very first forehead portrait.

I am a Washington DC native. I studied art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (while attending Emerson College). I have had one-man shows all over the world, in New York City; Washington, DC; Seattle; Provincetown, MA; Boston; Los Angeles; New Orleans; London; Berlin; Tel Aviv; and Prague.

I have been living in Brooklyn, NY since 1999 and I have had a storefront/studio space ever since then. My storefront, on 5th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn is where I create and sell my work.  With a sign on the door reading “Open by appointment and by luck,” the space has attracted neighbors and art lovers alike, becoming an essential stop in the creative life of the neighborhood. Most evenings I am in my studio after 9pm and working very late into the night. 

I have had many gallery shows over the years but I’ve made my living in large part by selling my artwork directly to the public which continues to be a pleasure for me.

I will celebrate my 60th birthday with a major retrospective at Arts Gowanus, the renowned art gallery and cultural center. The exhibition opens with a reception on Thursday, June 19, from 6–10 pm, and will be open to the public daily from 2 – 7 pm, June 20 through July 6. Please come by and help me celebrate my birthday and my artwork! I hope to see you.