* All images used with permission. Please do not distribute without first contacting the artist.
Visually my work is a celebration of society’s dark undercurrents and its overlooked absurdities. Charcoal then is my medium of choice as its tenebrous values add a fitting metaphor to my narrative. The dark shadows and tonal nuances seduce viewers into a world their better judgment would have them avoid. This provokes a sense of disquietude that causes viewers to assess our world through the austerity of a colorless, yet not humorless, light.
Though my work involves self-portraiture the depiction of my likeness is sublimated to the narrative. I wish for the viewers to realize the artist is the figure in the work but do not consider my work self-portraiture per se. My figure is the thread that weaves the story together, each figure portraying a character in a drama. I see my person purely as a plastic vehicle whose rigorous portrayal allows for unrestrained expression. I revel in this sense of artistic freedom. It has granted power and poignancy in relating my beliefs and experiences to others.Â
"Ganz's drawings are darkly humorous self portraits in charcoal with figures coming in and out of focus, some blending to the background and the heavily textured lines of the atmosphere. At first glance they look highly realistic, but up close you see that his images are much more inventive and describes a vision. He is my husband so I'm sure there's a bit of bias... but as an artist married to another artist I believe that our admiration of each others' work is one of the big reasons why our relationship works."