Tablet series (far left), Glean series (middle), and Atlas: "I started out making maximalist narrative paintings, but the backgrounds became more interesting to me, and eventually they became the painting: That's what the Glean and Atlas paintings are. At first, the Atlas paintings were easier to make on wood panel, but I wanted them to be on canvas, so that they'd stay within the canon of painting on some level. Plus, old ladies like their oils on canvas, so I was trying to find a way to make them on canvas that wasn’t just for 'marketing' purposes — certain collectors just won’t touch wood panel. I had to think about why these paintings needed to be on canvas if it’s easier on panel. Then I thought of slashing the surface — Lucio Fontana would be the obvious example— and that led me to cutting them and pulling them and then it just became a whole new body of work that had to be on canvas."