THE PHYSICAL ASPECT
Many artists torment their bodies and minds to realize an artistic vision. I got burned, bruised, stabbed, sliced, broken, cut, smashed, ridiculed, punched, criticized, and generally abused to bring the Knockout Artist to life, and so what I suffer in the ring is but a small price to pay...for my art.

                              THE PAINTING
This sculpture/performance can be seen as an homage and a mockery of a style of painting labeled Abstract Action Painting. The style was popularized in the 50's & 60's by proponents, critic Clement Greenberg and painter Jackson Pollack. Both would insist that Abstract Painting was the only creditable form of "high art." The important aspects of Action Painting that created an artist's style were: gestures or marks, rate and speed, flatness vs. thickness, time limits (years vs. seconds), and emotion. The Knockout Artist has been designed to work within these guide lines, IE: 14 brushes, 4 punches, 3 spring strengths, and an infinite number of minor adjustments.

        THE PERFORMANCE
The sculpture/painting process has been set up in the typical fashion of a frontally driven performance, and there exists an internal time limit dictated by how much abuse my body can take or 12 three minuet rounds. I would like to go the distance, but should I fall short, this is by no means a failure. Like art-making for many artists, during the performance I will be in competition with myself, my art, & environment to realize an artistic end.