Todd Gray

I think that art needs to be fundamentally beautiful and pretty to look at: like a melody in a song. A song with no melody (to me) is like an art piece that is not beautiful. It is not that art is not art if it is not beautiful nor music not music without melody, but the intention to create beauty is a primary force that has always driven me. Much of my inspiration is garnered from music as most of my time creating art is done with music as my backdrop. The two are interchangeable. So, it comes as no surprise that music metaphors are indelibly intertwined with my artistic definitions. Secondly, I believe that art should say something like the lyrics in a song. And finally, my highest goal, (and the one I always strive for) would be to create art that is somehow meaningful… and profound… and significant like great music which mixes profoundly moving lyrics with incredible melody. Like Bob Marley or John Lennon or Bob Dylan... These are the simple yardsticks and beacons I use and I have more or less held to them steadfast through the years. I might have different intentions and desires with regards to each individual body of work but my core beliefs always hold true to these simple maxims