Artist Statement

I am not a true outsider,
but most of whom claim to be are not,
shit, some of them even got degrees...
i sucked in school,
catholic school K through 3rd.
the nuns always kept me after class
public school 4th to 8th
drew on my folders and got picked on a lot.
spent five years in high school,
it was the seventies... 'nuff said.
I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
as an artist I don't have to...

it is all i can do.
the ability to create art is a gift & not a right.
too many artists are just children playing with clay.
i wish to present images with force and dark wit
that are technically solid.

rocky and bullwinkle, ed "big daddy" roth, dali, vaughn bode,
charles bukowski, tom waits, mark smith, nelson algren,
hans bellmer, joseph cornell, bansky, balthus,
an ever-growing list of martyrs and murderers,
snakehandlers & strychine drinkers,
those that you could consider ugly.
the socially emotionally and spiritually retarded.
those that are scared of the dark for a reason,
all part of the collective i draw strength from.

I believe Thomas Kinkade is the anti-christ.

so figure i gotta make a run at it,
I mean seriously,
I ain't getting any younger
and I sure don't wanna be sitting spoon fed
in a wheel chair wondering
through one more moment of clarity,
what if...

it is all i can do, i know this.
thank you for the opportunity.

dean hacker...