Brady Haston: Artist Statement

These works are a continuing exploration of the abstract graphic qualities found in that specific urban environment.

Faded signs, murals, and censored graffiti act to break up the monotonous cityscape and then become a primary source material that provides a point of departure for the paintings. These sometimes accidental and unplanned forms provide a dynamic background for the more permanent industrial parts and residential fixtures encountered on a daily basis. The shapes and forms are pulled into the work and creative process to act as a record of memory that attempts to capture forgotten pieces of our own background. Rearranging the jumble and chaos of the urban environment in an attempt to create a visual construction for the viewer to enter provides a chance for direct participation with this strategy.

The images present in the paintings and prints come directly from my surroundings and then after manipulation become a virtual tour of my neighborhood. I would like the audience to come away from this show with a heightened sense of awareness toward the subtle visual phenomena that surrounds us.