Backstory

My work is a blend of music, art, photography, programming and writing, reflecting my life-long love affair with media technology.

I'm passionate about using technology to create thought-provoking, emotionally catalytic and aesthetically pleasing statements that inspire people to experience the incredible world around them—and life itself—through new eyes, ears and perspectives. 

In the process, my visual work in limited-edition fine-art prints, videos and real-time interactive installations often intentionally incorporates and reconcile opposites—organic and man made, abstract and surreal, familiar and unique, past and future. And while I'm sure I will always write love songs, the lyrics in my music is also intended to shed light on and improve the human condition.

I've been blessed to be in the music industry all of my adult life. Being a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter/composer and producer is a passionate, never-ending journey of inspiration, discovery and camaraderie. While my roots are in rock, my musical influences span a wide range of genres—including today's bouillabaisse of styles.

My songwriting and production largely focus on creating music with commercial potential. Rather that striving to be in the spotlight myself, my songs are usually intended for other artists to perform and popularize. I also write and produce broadcast-ready masters for placement in film and TV, often specifically for the opportunity at hand.

We live in a time where empowering, unifying messages are critical—and music is one of the best vehicles for raising consciousness. In that light, I have also been driven to create purpose-built music that supports causes and addresses social issues, such as "In the Streets of Charlottesville" in the wake of the alt-right rally there, and "Lean on Me" supporting survivors of sexual abuse. 

While I enjoy sitting down with synths, loops and samples and letting the creative process unfold in a hands-on kind of way, my primary writing process is still largely old-school—driven by the fact that I wake up almost every day with a new song playing in my head. My job is to capture those inspirations, get out of the way and sheppard them to their highest potential as full-fledged songs. My songs are my children and, like most parents, I'm committed to doing whatever it takes to see them spread their wings and fly.

I transmute my photography into layered works of abstract and surreal art, many of which evolve gracefully over time on screens or projections to mesmerizing effect. Even many of my “still” limited-edition gicleé prints evoke a quality of motion and visual rhythm, owing in no small part to my roots as a musician. 

I'm fascinated with the shapes, patterns, textures, and colors of the world around me—whether created by nature, man, or their confluence—capturing them through my lens in a collection that now exceeds 30,000 hi-res photos taken all over the world. Close-up shots of a rose in Paris, pond reflections in Kyoto, and a rusted dumpster wall in Budapest are equally fair game—not to mention the possibility of combining them all in a single image. 

I often shoot things that most people walk right by. For example, I once took over 200 close-ups of a grocery store floor while it was being redone. The glue and concrete patterns revealed after workmen pulled up 30-year old linoleum reminded me of satellite photos of an alien desert civilization. 

While my photography stands on it’s own, my true passion and end game is using it as source material for digital montages—whether in print or moving on screens. Exploration is key to this process. I love exploring what photos have to give, both individually and in combination. My free-form photomontage process is also very akin to the freedom of going for a Sunday drive, exploring unfamiliar country roads just to see where the adventure takes you. 

MetaArt is a work of art that creates works of art. I wanted to make something that would surprise and spellbind me as much as it would other people. When the available tools began to feel limiting in realizing my vision of art in motion, I started writing my own generative art software to manipulate layers of my photography—through various degress along the spectrum of control and autonomy.

I’m fascinated by the kismet that happens onscreen when I design processes and set them in motion. It also helps catalyze the important conversation of what constitutes art in the context of the never-end march of technology.

Short exerpt from full (1hr 30min) "I Love Juicy" installation

Part of my mission is to transform screens in homes, businesses and public places into works of beautiful, ambient art that move and change over time. And in this fast-paced, often frenetic world we live in, I deliberately create most of my ambient pieces to evolve slowly so that viewers can rest and relax into them.

In my full installations, MetaArt can create real-time experiences that are always unique and never repeat—optionally responding to motion, sound, data and/or other input stimuli. Commissions can also include imagery from the worlds of my clients.