"You are a Southern Artist"

So last night my wife and I were watching the documentary, "Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus", and I commented to her about wanting to return to being a "southern artist." She replied, "Sweetheart, you are a southern artist and always have been." That got me to thinking a bit...How important is it that where I'm from shows through in my art, and how does my being born and raised in the South affect the art I create? I realized that the answer to the first question wasn't nearly as important as the answer to the second; but the answers to both say a lot about who I am as a person, and as an artist. I've always known that I couldn't separate the spiritual element from the physical element in my work, but I haven't always understood why. I just knew that what I felt was alive-that it was real, and that everything I do in life centers around the line that blurred for me long before I was born. What I feel runs deep, I just never understood quite how deep until now. Enjoy.

Sanctum Series 2007 (Installation View 2)