The Apogee series is a body of abstract figurative paintings born from a direct study of the spatial perspectives found in Italian frescoes. Each summer, I travel to Italy to paint and study historical art in museums and galleries. Upon returning to my Dallas studio, I investigate these historic techniques through a series of foreshortened figures.

I ground these compositions from the vantage point of the feet. This anatomical anchor is rarely centralized in painting or daily observation. The extreme perspective highlights how the human form occupies space.

The title Apogee denotes a climax or the highest point of development. It reflects the spatial mastery achieved by historical painters. It also represents a deliberate challenge to my own limitations at the canvas.

The objective of these works is the tension of form rather than strict realism. I execute these figures directly on the studio wall. The process requires immediate and aggressive brushwork. The paintings navigate the exact midpoint between representation and abstraction. The final works become a marriage of solid form and visceral paint application.