My artistic practice centers on creating long form narrative cycles that delve into the profound psychological and mythological themes of human experience. My work, which includes large-scale realist drawings and paintings, video, and sound works, are labor-intensive, reflecting the epic nature of the ordeals I depict. These narratives do not offer solutions or utopias but explore the edges of thresholds where boundaries are tenuous and the interplay between terror and the sublime is pronounced.
The works draw inspiration from descent narratives in mythology while looking to the discipline of psycho-mythology and archetypal symbolism for their dialectics which engage with the collective unconscious. My works speak to an omnipresent disquiet, to the restlessness and uncertainty everywhere, forever tentative, indefinite and in transition. I don't propose any beginnings or endings, no solutions are offered, and no utopia is alluded to. I’m interested in what lies just beyond the threshold, in places where boundaries can be tenuous and in the uncomfortable connection between terror and the sublime. My works look to the hidden, the concealed or the occulted qualities of the world, in places where the darkness has agency and shadows are alive with all our imaginings. The subjects in my drawings operate at the precipice, reaching out before them, seeking to transcend their precarious states, eternally searching.
This mythopoetic approach is integral to my teaching as well. I aim to inspire students to explore their own depths, encouraging them to harness both technical skill and conceptual rigor. By balancing aesthetic impact with practical skills, I help students refine their craftsmanship and develop intentionality in their work. My courses are structured to foster critical examination, creative thinking, and self-expression through a dynamic blend of critiques, discussions, collaborations, lectures, and demos. I emphasize the importance of understanding historical and contemporary approaches to art, providing students with a comprehensive framework to explore visual content
In my studio practice, I strive to balance conceptual rigor with aesthetic impact while paying close attention to all aspects of craftsmanship in my work. Additionally, archival practices are of great importance to my process and research. As an artist and educator, this something which I believe serious consideration. My interest in the arts lie in its function as an experiential process of conceptual inquiry that embraces critical thought to build and decode meaning. Through this, I believe that art is uniquely positioned to pose more questions than answers.
I’m interested in using realist painting and drawing to build cinematic vignettes which form a narrative structure within a larger mise-en-scene. My exhibitions often include sound, in the form of multichannel or ambisonic soundscapes. Each work serves as a means of world building a visual narrative while capturing the essence of the mythopoetic, or uncanny aesthetic. I employ intricate line work and meticulous details to breathe life into these narratives, infusing them with a sense of mystique and reverence. The use of chiaroscuro and shading creates a play of light and shadow that mirrors the duality often present in superstitions the balance between good and ill fortune, protection, and vulnerability.
While drawing and painting have notably become the core of my praxis, my creative process is informed by the expanding fields of contemporary fine arts practices. Additionally, sound, photography, video, sculpture, and performance, each speak to a unique mode of inquiry within my work. As an interdisciplinary artist, a fluid approach to working across different mediums is something I embrace to generate crossover and innovation, expanding the critical tools to bring more artistic possibilities into play.
Carl Jung’s exploration of alchemy resonates deeply within m practice, serving as a metaphor for psychological transformation. Just as alchemy seeks to transmute base materials into gold, my work seeks to distill the complexities of human experience into a deeper understanding of the self. I aim to evoke the alchemical process of merging opposites, highlighting the reconciliation of light and dark, conscious and unconscious. Jung had interpreted alchemy as more as a psychical transformation than a physical one.
Ultimately, my intention is to cultivate a space for exploration, where viewers can engage with their own narratives and recognize the richness of their inner worlds. In this shared journey, we can uncover the profound connections we share through our stories, and the transformative potential that arises from embracing the full spectrum of our psyches potential, revealing the inner landscapes we traverse in pursuit of identity, self-discovery and transformation.
Adam Gabriel Winnie, Katabasis, charcoal, and pastel on paper mounted to Dibond, 83” x 38”, 2023.