Born in California, lives in New York. Reflects elements of our culture through a camera lens and mixed media. In his latest works, summons Rodin's nudes with pencil and paint over printed photographs on watercolor paper.

Why do you censor your nudes? I censor all my work. There's no reason for the nudity, you know she's nude. You don't need a boob, you can still fire endorphins by looking at it. It's a reoccurring thing in my work. Also, the progression of art history happens over and over in my pieces. The two pieces from this show are Rodin's nudes that he got in so much trouble for in 1902. You want to fuck her in his work; I wanted you to adore her.

When you are shaping a series, do you have a fixed idea in your head? Everything I do is staged, so everything that is in there is there for a reason.

How much of art is a craft that can be taught and learned? I studied every kind of light, commercial photography, industrial photography, fashion photography and did all of them. And learned about cameras and what they do and how they work, and in the end you figure out it's really all about content. I used to think you had to have $50,000 worth of equipment, and I bought all this stuff and it just got to be silly when you understand light, and can communicate with light.

How do you manipulate the image to make it feel like a painting? I distress it heavily. I have these weird rules, I take 40 pictures, that's it. And I destroy 37 of them. And each one is randomly distressed so you can't control it.

Describe genius. I think genius is when it's pure and real and from you…

And that carries over to the viewer. Not always. Sometimes people look at stuff and hate it and then years later, they like it. The only enemy of art is indifference.

How do you know when a work is done? It is a feeling. I do not believe what they say, "One more stroke and the painting's ruined." You're the artist and you decide whether the painting is ruined or not. While I'm working I definitely obsess obsess obsess, but then once I have the frame, I kinda forget about it.

"Paper Deviations" can be seen at The Proposition Gallery through Feb. 26; 559 W. 22nd St. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.); 212-242-0035; Tues.-Sun., 10-6; free.