"Art begins when a man wishes to immortalize the most visual moments in which he has found art as a means of self-expression in which I assert my personality above the level of others. establishing a relationship equal to or. But how or why does the artist depict his past life into his work? The answer can probably be found by examining in depth the history and feelings of the artist. For example, I was born on a farm along the Saline River in Northwestern Kansas. ยท Being the second generation removed of ancestry from Germany, Russia, and Luxembourg, my background is diversified. As a child, I was faced with numerous problems in regard to verbal communications. This led me to rely on the visual arts as a form of communication. I believe that the pursuit of new ideas is a search for self. This can direct an artist in many directions. Using the watercolor media and being introduced to the collage and Elmer's Glue-Ink media, I have found a working media to record my impressions of society and to interpret feelings of inner self. While working in this newly found mixed media, I have found myself reliving my past in my work. As the colors begin to move on the glue-covered painting surface, new motivations develop to pursue what is happening to its fullest point of departure. As fragments of past experiences are relived, so does the adding or removal of co l I age material help heighten the image. 2 True, my work may have more than one meaning, but I still have communicated myself into each image. It is my conclusion that the image before me is complete when my past experiences are fulfilled within the image, and I have communicated to my best ability the past life and feelings of which only I have experienced."-Virgil Deges' thesis statement.
