“Entropy” was painted in the summer of 1974 while still a student of art at San Diego State University. It was not done to fulfill a course assignment but on my own outside of class. It was the first of my creations to be shown publicly as part of a juried show at the San Diego Art Institute in Balboa Park.

The composition and lighting are directly influenced by the art of Salvador Dali, especially his creations from the 1930s. He was the first of the surrealists to draw my attention. I’ve always felt an affinity to his art and the works of several other surrealist painters. The robot-like torso was originally derived from pictures of medieval armor and evolved from playful sketches started when I was sixteen years old. Aerospace fittings, knife blade and self portrait of my own arm were all imaginatively added to the mix. The only spark of optimism is the single snail sketched and painted from life. It continues its movement oblivious to the violence and starless black space.