Inspired by the American southwest and the northern half of Mexico, my most recent paintings were nonetheless a struggle against darkness. Optimism of some kind must be the first step in solutions, and thus cultural solutions, to the problems we care about. Information problems are often the first obstacle in the use of our heads and our hearts. Our collective struggle against left brain domination including through technology’s brain preferences matters more than conventional emphases typically allow it. My art in the past couple years has directly and antithetically countered the other extreme of cartoonish form.