“Loveless City”, Odds and Ends Series, No. 85

I’ve often, throughout my years growing up, viewed myself as a city, in where all the components of my history, and all the people I’ve met along the way, would become structures of my life. After all, who are we without the people who supported us, encouraged us, and gave us permission to create and do the things we do? “Loveless City” is a piece about that concept, in where everyone who has supported me transformed to be a building, park, lake, or thoroughfare in my life.

I imagine myself as a child, being a one street town with my parents and siblings as the center of this small place… and as I grew older and met various teachers, friends, and lovers along the way, I’d build myself from a small village to a sprawling metropolis with endless possibilities for expansion.

Districts like “Underwater Town”, house the buildings of people who supported me through my darkest days. “Lightbulb City” is the district that houses the people who supported my art and encouraged me to keep on going. “Pyramidville” is a place that entails the people that I am inspired by, and the two beaches are the restaurants who helped me financially get by as an artist. Lastly, in the face, is “Upsidedown Town”, which resides the support of my crazy ideas and philosophies that I’ve carried within the depths of my psyche growing up.

All these people, built me from who I was as a confused child, to the crazy artist I am today, … and without these people I would be no one.. I would be that small town in the middle of nowhere with little to no support to grow beyond myself.

It is in this piece, that I want to let everyone who has been a part of my life know, that I love you and appreciate you for making me who I am today.

Without you, I am nothing.

To the building blocks:

Daniella Aiello, Amy Trauger, Cris Gibbons, Kim Rein, Diana Flores, Paul Festa, Mike Uljanic, Todd Doane, Shelley Mayen, Tracy Stroud, Eric Lange, Mike and Dana Kungl, Keri Rincon, Michael Young, Noka, Nolan, Avery, and Geneva Aldoroty,  Trevor Carlton, Merilee Hanna, Matt Locke, Mario Valle, Richard Carter, Tim Rogerson, Hadeis Safi, The Harkoviches, Erica McCarthy, David Pacheco, Eric Huntoon, Edie Modular, Heklina, Peaches Christ, Xavier Gerbaux, Mart Basa, Michael Lazar, Greg Cassius, Cody Bayne, Ara Thorose, Andrew Baker, Nick Leoni, Mark Gorog, The Chows, Nina Grey, Monica Schrock, Chelsea Patterson, Johnny Raymond, Sidoe Dukemajian, Atom Basham, Olivia Semple, Niki Khanna, The Winklers, Didi Dunphy, Tor Keeslar, Chave Alexander, Julianna Cuevas, Gillian Grawey, Franz Szony, Bonnie and Lily Varner, Jackie Beat, Caryll Cruz, Melissa Daywalt, Mario Graciotti, Jason Salas, Troy Carlson, Joshua Magallanes, A.K. Miller, Eli Francis, Sara Pooley, Asleep Hernandez, Aaron Mattocks, Rebecca Peloquin, Frances Sinkowitsch, Txeo and Romain, Galla, Mike Will, Meredith Barry, Leslie Combemale, Dave Bossert, Dawn Pierotti, David Jozef, John Keenoy, Christina Henri, Sandi Turner, Chantal Pfäfflin, Greg Barnard, Katie Kane, Lindsay Block, Liam Carl, Ryan Bellis, Cassie Drennon, Mishel Castro, Krystal Richardson, Lori Divine, Marty Robbins, Mia Saiz, The Toro Family, Maggie Duckworth, TJ Thompson, Ben Berman, Deven Green, and Lenora Claire..

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You may not have realized in the short (or long) time that we have known each other… but you have influenced me to be my greatest, and to that I am forever grateful for knowing you.