“Egoic Suffering Repurposing Station #12”
36" x 47" (92 x 122),
Oil on wood panel.
The red border and isometric geometry of “Egoic Suffering Repurposing Station Number 12” in the painting reference the composition of Japanese ukiyo-e wood block prints of the 19th century. In this painting we see lavender bears working on an assembly line where they are transforming truck loads of a gooey, toxic substance into flowers. And in the foreground, bears are marching forward into the world holding the flowers with great dignity. I originally wanted to use people in this painting. But I did not want the figures to convey any specific race, gender identity, or emotional expression that would cause the viewer to focus on the individual human narrative. The use of animals, bears in this case, enabled me to convey the larger universal message of the piece in a way that can be enjoyed on multiple levels.
36" x 47" (92 x 122),
Oil on wood panel.
The red border and isometric geometry of “Egoic Suffering Repurposing Station Number 12” in the painting reference the composition of Japanese ukiyo-e wood block prints of the 19th century. In this painting we see lavender bears working on an assembly line where they are transforming truck loads of a gooey, toxic substance into flowers. And in the foreground, bears are marching forward into the world holding the flowers with great dignity. I originally wanted to use people in this painting. But I did not want the figures to convey any specific race, gender identity, or emotional expression that would cause the viewer to focus on the individual human narrative. The use of animals, bears in this case, enabled me to convey the larger universal message of the piece in a way that can be enjoyed on multiple levels.