Virtual Art Tour

Lance Rodgers, American, born 1955

Riding a Volatile Market

St. Petersburg, Fla. artist Lance Rodgers calls himself an artist and an art activist. "Varying degrees of realism, symbolism and deceit permeate my current work," explains Rodgers. "Staccato bombardment of overlapping images form double illusions of reverence and sarcasm; sanctity of the past and present, the symmetry of chaos-the chaos of hope."

When asked in a newspaper interview what his proudest achievements were, Rodgers replied, "Putting issue-oriented aggressive art billboards on the streets where they have the most visual impact." His first billboard piece, titled "Consequences," was installed at 34th Street and 33rd Avenue North in St. Petersburg during the spring of 1994. It was inspired by the fact that Rodgers was injured as a child in a gun accident and he wanted to dramatize the need for educating children and adults about the dangers of handguns.

His greatest satisfaction is when people tell him that they are moved by his work. "I'm often asked about the technique I employ (paintbrush, airbrush, finger-paints thrown and dripped, etc)," Rodgers writes in his artist statement. "While there are obvious differences, the objective to communicate remains the same. An artist's vision is more important than the methods used to create that vision." Rodgers' quieter "paintings explore inner and interpersonal human relationships. The passionate or the infidel, the face of the lonely or the triumphant. Spirit."