I am interested in the fluidity of human identity, the infinite tide of an inner self splashing against the outer world like oil and vinegar. I think of the mask we wear versus the struggle and turmoil inside us. I think of instinct and feelings versus outside forces, public opinion, and propaganda. Which of our thoughts are our own and which are the product of conditioning and outside influence?

I use oil paint and mixed media on canvas to explore human psyche, identity, and instinct and to reflect on the seemingly adverse powers of today’s society. Layers upon layers of transforming paint offer a visual reflection of the dynamic experiences which compile themselves to establish a person. My portraits are often androgynous, conflicted, but can also be humorous or even casual. Tumultuous brushstrokes are sometimes combined with clippings from newspapers and gossip magazines; an abundance of opportunity lies within the wreckage of any given image. My practice is frantic creation, patient execution, and mindless surrender. I also work in large murals: rapidly executed with paint rollers, they absorb my surroundings and engage anyone who passes in an open conversation.

My aim is to invite my audience to reflect on these issues for themselves. The images are deliberately fractured in a way that the each viewer can repair in an individual experience. But it is also an exploration of how I personally encounter outside forces in my own daily life. My painting is like a snapshot of a perception, my depiction of a flickering moment of static reality. In the battle to define who we are, there is no winner: the answer lies somewhere between collective and individual phenomena.

www.wyattmills.com
@wyatt.mills

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