Emergence

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Cellist And Drummer

Cellist And Drummer, 48” x 59.5”, oil on canvas, 2022

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Art In The Time of Corona

This period of time will always be remembered for Covid-19, the coronavirus pandemic that has stopped society as we know it, and the social distancing, quarantines, and stay-at-home orders, in humanity’s efforts to overcome. It is a strange time to be alive. Every artist I know has the capacity to thrive in isolation, but ultimately, people need people.

During my isolation, I recently completed this sculpture of an octopus. Titled The Healer, it is a symbol of adaptability and represents positivity in conquering difficult obstacles. An octopus is an extremely intelligent creature that can adapt to new environments, hide, disappear, squeeze through seemingly impossible passages, hold strong, attack, and regenerate. In our quest to defeat Covid-19, the unique characteristics of an octopus are especially important for us to emulate.

The sculpture is made of thousands of little pebbles. The octopus of course has eight arms that connect to a central mantle, and in this artwork these can be interpreted to be the various human populations of the biggest landmasses that connect to Earth’s mantle.

Dude, stop being so serious

With this piece, I turned a doodle into a painting. The purpose was to create something, well, humorous, while also retaining something more than just a punchline. 

I am sometimes annoyed by the overwhelmingly vague and grandiloquent language used by many folks in the art world to legitimize certain artworks. If they can create enough confusion by linking inexhaustible theories to such language in their art of art-writing, using overused words such as juxtapose, banality, and utilize (instead of use), then I suppose many people think they are smart and unquestionably correct. 

Why is the art world so serious? Is it because of the millions of dollars being exchanged by the few financial elite over a handful of contemporary artworks? Does a work of art really need to be valued as though it's a cure for cancer? 

Here's a middle finger. And the art police are chasing. Take the Ball and Run with It. 18" x 24", oil and acrylic on canvas.