R. Michael Wommack

Drawing, Painting

This series of paintings and drawings come out of a dream I had a while back. I was back in my childhood neighborhood swimming in pools at night. The houses were dark, but the pools were illuminated, being the sole source of light. I began making these drawings after the dream, and the process evoked memories of growing up in Levittown in the 60’s when that development was relatively new. The houses were uniform, in a pattern of 3 alternating colors. The trees were mere sticks, and there were no fences. I have been trying to capture what it is like to grow up in this uniquely American landscape ever since.
I don’t care to deconstruct any of the dreams, but I am interested in tapping into the imagery. I am not concerned with historical accuracy, but in the emotions caused by living in such a place at an early age. I am not interested in making a specific social statement. I like to keep aspects of the drawing ambiguous, to allow the viewer their own interpretation of what it means to live in the American suburbs. I am trying to capture beauty in what we consider ugly.