artist statement.
My artwork is a product of popular culture colliding with my own detailed perspective on the world, which I often view from a fantasy standpoint. My work will continue to range from heavy metal posters that chronicle rock and roll history to indulgent fetishistic pin-ups of strange characters and weird monsters. At times, my work will be introspective and esoteric combining realistic anatomy with decidedly surreal, organic thoughts and images.
My goal is to never sit still for too long and become stagnant or bored with my own art. I want to experiment with the wonderful array of tools that artists have available to them, expanding my personal horizons and sneaking even more fun details into my work. Enjoy!
My goal is to never sit still for too long and become stagnant or bored with my own art. I want to experiment with the wonderful array of tools that artists have available to them, expanding my personal horizons and sneaking even more fun details into my work. Enjoy!
the story thus far....
Dennis grew up in the magically forested Corn Belt of Northern Indiana during the terms of Edgar Whitcomb through Frank O'Bannon. His father was a famous trucker driver named "Bandit" and often recruited fellow trucker Cletus "Snowman" to travel and share adventures with. His father would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes he accused chestnuts of being lazy, the sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament.
His mother was a line worker at Wellman Plastics along with her sister Jackie and friend Crystal. Soon after Dennis' mother becomes foreman of Wellman Plastics, she leads Jackie, Crystal and other coworkers, along with herself, to quit. Jackie became a police officer and Dennis' mother cycled through a variety of jobs including telemarketer, bartender, cashier and finally sweeping floors at a beauty salon.
As a young lad, Dennis' appreciation of art and science flourished when he was asked by his school science teacher, Dr. Jones to accompany him to a small village in India in search of five Sankara stones. They were successful, but Dennis vowed to never again dine on chilled monkey brains, unless they are served in a conventional bowl.
Adventures continued for Dennis as his family relocated to Astoria, Oregon only to face foreclosure on their home from the ever expanding local Country Club. During the last fews days in Astoria, Dennis and his new friends Mikey, Mouth, Chunk, Andy, Brand & Stef all ventured into a recently discovered cavern to locate an old pirate ship. Good Times.
As a teenager, Dennis' family moved back into a trailer park called Starlight Starbright, where Dennis would immerse himself in a video game outside of the trailer park office. Frustrated that his mutant powers hadn't manifested yet, Dennis became the game's highest scoring player of all time. As a result, Dennis was visited by a gentleman named Centauri who spoke of defending "The Frontier" from the "Xur and the Ko-Dan Armada". Unbeknownst to his friends and family, Dennis ventured to the planet Rylos with the old man Centauri, leaving behind a Dennis clone named Beta. Beta attended Northridge High School and has fond memories of his high school years and the friends he made there. Dennis returned to Earth the summer of 1990. Just in time for college.
Dennis attended the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale thanks to a sweet scholarship that Beta had won for him. It's there that Dennis met vampires and goths and suddenly things began to change. He met their leader, a young man by the name of Brian Warner, a local musician. Warner's music and band The Spooky Kids, would have a dramatic influence on Dennis and his art forever.
Already a fan of heavy metal music (his first show ever was Motlëy Crüe with Faster Pussycat), Dennis was spellbound to this new "industrial" sound Warner's group was creating. With influences like Bowie, nine inch nails, Front 242, KMFDM… Spooky Kids soon became Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids, and then just Marilyn Manson. From there, the musical debauchery just continued as Dennis attended the shows of countless others, forever feeding his need for loudness, aggression and metal.
After college and coming to terms with the fact that no mutant abilities would be manifesting, Dennis headed back north to seek gainful employment. He worked in a few small printing companies, meeting the people who would become close friends and allies for the coming Zombie Apocalypse. It is during this time that Dennis and friend, Derrik would witness a UFO above Eagle Lake, Michigan in March of 1995. It was no coincidence that Dennis would also meet his future wife on that very evening; an angelic curly haired woman named Amy. Dennis would stalk Amy for several weeks before asking Derrik's help in obtaining a date with the elusive angel. And life would never be the same again.
Dennis and Amy wed in 1997. Their adventures together took them running in fear from raccoons in Kentucky to running in fear from huge spiders in the Florida Everglades as well as swimming in the shark infested ocean. Spending several meditative and erotic days in those Florida waters (and listening to Lateralus by TOOL) restored the couple's energies, ambitions and goals. Amy went back to school to become the super RN that she is today and Dennis went back to the drawing board. Dennis had spent several years previous working on comic book art, his first creator-owned book Sinister was published through Hall of Heroes. His next comic book effort, Gypsy Company was self-published with his friend Shawn. Sinister was essentially one book that should have been 12, it was a personal story of Darkness and Redemption for Dennis but the only part the public ever got to see was the Darkness. Gypsy Company was definitely more fun, highly influenced by Dennis' interest in some Japanese animation and the subject of fantasy. Dennis became disillusioned with the comic book industry after having it out with the distributors, Diamond Distributing thus ended any drive for Dennis to pursue comic books anymore. Back to the ocean and Lateralus, Dennis decided to simply create Art for the sake of it, for himself and nobody else and started seeking out galleries for his new works.
to be continued...
His mother was a line worker at Wellman Plastics along with her sister Jackie and friend Crystal. Soon after Dennis' mother becomes foreman of Wellman Plastics, she leads Jackie, Crystal and other coworkers, along with herself, to quit. Jackie became a police officer and Dennis' mother cycled through a variety of jobs including telemarketer, bartender, cashier and finally sweeping floors at a beauty salon.
As a young lad, Dennis' appreciation of art and science flourished when he was asked by his school science teacher, Dr. Jones to accompany him to a small village in India in search of five Sankara stones. They were successful, but Dennis vowed to never again dine on chilled monkey brains, unless they are served in a conventional bowl.
Adventures continued for Dennis as his family relocated to Astoria, Oregon only to face foreclosure on their home from the ever expanding local Country Club. During the last fews days in Astoria, Dennis and his new friends Mikey, Mouth, Chunk, Andy, Brand & Stef all ventured into a recently discovered cavern to locate an old pirate ship. Good Times.
As a teenager, Dennis' family moved back into a trailer park called Starlight Starbright, where Dennis would immerse himself in a video game outside of the trailer park office. Frustrated that his mutant powers hadn't manifested yet, Dennis became the game's highest scoring player of all time. As a result, Dennis was visited by a gentleman named Centauri who spoke of defending "The Frontier" from the "Xur and the Ko-Dan Armada". Unbeknownst to his friends and family, Dennis ventured to the planet Rylos with the old man Centauri, leaving behind a Dennis clone named Beta. Beta attended Northridge High School and has fond memories of his high school years and the friends he made there. Dennis returned to Earth the summer of 1990. Just in time for college.
Dennis attended the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale thanks to a sweet scholarship that Beta had won for him. It's there that Dennis met vampires and goths and suddenly things began to change. He met their leader, a young man by the name of Brian Warner, a local musician. Warner's music and band The Spooky Kids, would have a dramatic influence on Dennis and his art forever.
Already a fan of heavy metal music (his first show ever was Motlëy Crüe with Faster Pussycat), Dennis was spellbound to this new "industrial" sound Warner's group was creating. With influences like Bowie, nine inch nails, Front 242, KMFDM… Spooky Kids soon became Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids, and then just Marilyn Manson. From there, the musical debauchery just continued as Dennis attended the shows of countless others, forever feeding his need for loudness, aggression and metal.
After college and coming to terms with the fact that no mutant abilities would be manifesting, Dennis headed back north to seek gainful employment. He worked in a few small printing companies, meeting the people who would become close friends and allies for the coming Zombie Apocalypse. It is during this time that Dennis and friend, Derrik would witness a UFO above Eagle Lake, Michigan in March of 1995. It was no coincidence that Dennis would also meet his future wife on that very evening; an angelic curly haired woman named Amy. Dennis would stalk Amy for several weeks before asking Derrik's help in obtaining a date with the elusive angel. And life would never be the same again.
Dennis and Amy wed in 1997. Their adventures together took them running in fear from raccoons in Kentucky to running in fear from huge spiders in the Florida Everglades as well as swimming in the shark infested ocean. Spending several meditative and erotic days in those Florida waters (and listening to Lateralus by TOOL) restored the couple's energies, ambitions and goals. Amy went back to school to become the super RN that she is today and Dennis went back to the drawing board. Dennis had spent several years previous working on comic book art, his first creator-owned book Sinister was published through Hall of Heroes. His next comic book effort, Gypsy Company was self-published with his friend Shawn. Sinister was essentially one book that should have been 12, it was a personal story of Darkness and Redemption for Dennis but the only part the public ever got to see was the Darkness. Gypsy Company was definitely more fun, highly influenced by Dennis' interest in some Japanese animation and the subject of fantasy. Dennis became disillusioned with the comic book industry after having it out with the distributors, Diamond Distributing thus ended any drive for Dennis to pursue comic books anymore. Back to the ocean and Lateralus, Dennis decided to simply create Art for the sake of it, for himself and nobody else and started seeking out galleries for his new works.
to be continued...
Ben from Black Stone Cherry giving me the ole fist bump.
me and Alice. 2013
Morris Performing Arts Center, South Bend, Indiana
me and the master Tom Savini! 2013
i gave Tom a Zombie Toe at Motor City Comic Con, he loved it
me and Theory of a Deadman. 2012
Club Fever, South Bend, Indiana
me and Chevelle. 2011
Club Fever, South Bend, Indiana
me and OTEP, 2013.
Cheers Pub, South Bend, Indiana