"My paintings begin with an idea, never concrete or fully resolved. Through the process of painting and an almost archeological act of discovery, the idea evolves along with the painting. I fluctuate between the construction and destruction of imagery. The choice of the marks and the chance of the marks created by the manipulation of the paint both serve to develop the imagery. How much conscious control I take and how much unconscious chaos I allow through the act of painting all coalesce into the finished result.
"There is a constant struggle between me and the paint; my critical faculties versus the accident of the medium. A symbiotic relationship results with me influencing the paint, while the paint in turn influences me. Ultimately I paint myself into the painting, then paint myself back out of the piece, allowing the viewer to step in and experience my painting both intellectually and viscerally."
-- Todd West