A kind of salvation

Life Savers

20 x 40, acrylic

So it would be an understatement to say that "it's been a while" since it has in fact been over a month since my last update!  The main reason is that anything I've worked on in the last month has been a commission/gift and so I had to wait until after the gift had been given to make this post.  Needless to say I was overjoyed by being asked to create two works over the holidays (and will be posting the second one shortly).  The work I have posted here, which I have informally named "Life Savers", was a request to which the only instruction was to inspire myself from a single picture.  From there I had carte blanche to create anything of my liking.  I was (obviously) thrilled by this and am ecstatic that the painting turned out exactly as I had imagined it. 

It may be my love of somewhat "straight-forward" symbolism found in Baroque art that pushes me to include objects, colors, and animals that evoke a specific meaning (in this case, specific to the particular owner of the painting).  In order to incorporate meaningful items into the painting, I felt it was important to look not to the standard list of symbols (e.g. rose = love) but to seek out elements that would resonate with Elaina, namely, the person for whom the painting was created (the one on the right).  The person on the left is Cara, who commissioned the painting and provided me with a bit of information, namely Elaina's favorite colour (dark blue) and animal (the hummingbird).  

It may seem somewhat "simple" to merely add these elements into the painting, but the reality is that animals and colours with which we relate on a deeply personal level are in fact part of our identity and should not be taken for granted.  Colors can impact our mood in a number of ways and so I wanted to make use of them in a way that evoked joy, serenity, and fantasy, as well as act as a commentary on our pre-conceived notions of color as it relates to femininity and masculinity.  Namely, here the two women are depicted with blues (typically associated with "boys") and yet are swimming/are surrounded by a sea of pinks (a color typically associated with "girls").  This is meant to represent the way both coming to understand themselves in regards to, and within a, world where socially constructed notions of masculinity and femininity are so clearly defined.  Yet note that they are enjoying themselves; having moved beyond the initial struggle of coming to terms with the fact that they do not associate themselves with these established notions of gender and can now simply float along securely, happily, and most importantly together.  

Here the notion of "life savers" comes into play.  Early on, as I was conceiving of the painting in my head, the thought of adding giant Lifesavers candy, as well as an actual life saver, kept coming up until I couldn't avoid it anymore and simply had to go through with it.  The idea of life savers kept popping into my head mainly because of my knowledge of the strength and original essence of the relationship between Cara and Elaina.  I was aware that both had found something in each other that they had never been able to find in someone before, and which allowed them to connect, grow, and learn about themselves in a new and unique way.  

Ultimately, I decided to incorporate these colorful candies with "pop qualities" in order to really emphasize the notion that one can only survive modern existence in the company of loved ones.  Whether it is a romantic relationship, or simply the love of a friend, a sibling, etc. it is those who love us (and whom we can love back) who allow us to connect deeply with one another, and ultimately with ourselves: they are our life savers they allow us to keep moving forward and to look towards the future with hope and excitement.  The hope and excitement of anticipating sharing intimate moments that are transformed into "memories": our contemplation of the past and consequently of the sum total of our presence on Earth.

A few more symbolic aspects of the work are: the Hummingbirds, the falling feather, and the color of the sky.  Namely, the Hummingbird is Elaina's spirit animal, and so is of great importance in terms of her Metis cultural background.  In the same respect, the feather (although it is a Hummingbird's and not and Eagle's) is meant to represent both the mythological and social significance of the symbol of the feather to the Aboriginal nations.  Note that the hummingbirds are of different colors, and that all are flying harmoniously and unafraid of the humans near them.  This, along with the scenic mountains and trees in the background, is meant to evoke a sense of harmony with nature and the beauty of its natural order.  

The painting comes together as a great medley of colors; the way the sky goes from dark blue and purple space all the way to an orange sunset, which moves into a pink lake is meant to mirror the color scheme of a rainbow.  Also note that the Lifesavers are painted in accordance with the dominant color of the area I have placed them.  The way this progression of color is bright and natural, where one color leads into the next, makes way for the other and where each catches the eye equally, creates a sense of warmth and fantasy, daydream and creativity, as well as being reminiscent of the rainbow - an important symbol of the GLBTQ community.   

Phew!  I think I have given an adequate overview of my ideas and intentions in regards to this painting...  And while I seek to de-mystify my art (because art doesn't necessarily have to be obscure to be effective), I do believe that the viewer's interpretation (as it relates to his or her own life experience) is just as important as any specific meaning I may have intended to share through my work.  And so, I suppose you could have skipped everything else and jumped to the part where I tell you "you don't really need to know what I was thinking when I put this there, and that here", but hey, it doesn't hurt, right?

So that is all for now!  Stay tuned for commission # 2: a family portrait of Paul Galipeau's family and their dog in this style!

Until next time..

-P.

ROMANI NON ERANT SINE CULPA

20 x 28, acrylic

This is the fifth work of the Monstrous Children series. I've chosen to depict none other than... Romulus and Remus! These two rascals are believed to have been saved and nurtured by a she-wolf after their uncle Amulius attempted to kill them by sending them down the river Tiber in a basket... (When will people learn?! That never works!) Anyhow, the twins survived and were kept alive by this motherly she-wolf. This story is of particular significance because historians have traced the origins of Rome--and consequently the Roman Empire--back to these twins (see The Early History of Rome by Livy).

I find that this account of the origin of Rome offers an interesting contrast between the she-wolf and the twins (along with what they stand for). On one hand, the she-wolf is a strong and ferocious animal living and subsisting in the wild; a lifestyle which is representative of the ordered freedom found in nature. While on the other hand, Romulus and Remus, who are at first completely dependent on nature/the wolf for their survival, grow up to lay the groundwork for one of the largest empires in history... An empire from which the repercussions continue to resonate in the daily lives of people all around the world, including North Americans (particularly through the ripple effect of the Roman Catholic Church). Yet whether it be from a religious or political perspective, the impact the Roman Empire has had on history is enormous. If only in terms of the imperialist tone it has set for the West as a whole. While many empires have risen and fallen prior to the Roman Empire, some greater than the Roman Empire and some not, it remains that the Roman Empire has become a symbol of an excess of power leading to a tragic yet inevitable fall.  While I'm not denying that the Akkadian, Egyptian, Assyrian, Ottoman Empires (and the list goes on) were in fact incredibly epic, the Roman Empire, its fall, and its lasting aftermath remain key components to understanding our own society in relation to the history of the  "Western mentality".

But back to the artwork! This work was inspired by an ancient Roman sculpture (The Capitoline Wolf with Romulus and Remus). I decided to dress up Romulus and Remus in modern clothes to emphasize the connection between the survival/upbringing/actions of the twins (dating back to 771 BCE) and the current affluent state of North American society. Here the twins are gorging themselves with the milk of the she-wolf to the extent that it begins to overflow from their mouths, while at the same time she appears emaciated from nourishing the twins without nourishing herself. The milk overflowing from their mouths represents a state of excessive luxury and consumption, as the twins are taking in more milk than they can handle. In other words, the twins are meant to reflect the abuse of "natural resources" by humans; as we take more than we need to satisfy a lifestyle characterised by excess.

Ok.. I've gone on for long enough I think.

I will see you all TOMORROW at Invisible Cinema!

Salve! xo

P.S. Because I know most of the people who will read this have not studied the beautiful (yet dead) language that is Latin, here is what "Romani non erant sine culpa" means: "The Romans were not without fault".  I'll let you make the connections..

Hell Comes Home

16 x 20, acrylic

This work was inspired by my opposition to the Biblical notion that humans have dominion over animals.  

"Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."  (Genesis 1:26)

The mentality implied in this passage, namely that humans have the divinely ordained right to rule over all spheres of sentient beings, contributes to the reason why North American society has reached one of its lowest points in terms of mass animal cruelty.  Why can humans feel free to kill/eat/skin/abuse/vivisect any and all animals?..(except Police Dogs and RCMP Horses).. Because God said so? Hmm..

I don't mean to sound preachy, but this is a topic that means a lot to me.. Well two topics really: animal rights and the critical deconstruction of the Bible. 

Ok I think that's enough Bible-bashing for now, it is only 9:00 am after all..

God bless xo

Ma-doe-nna and Child

main pannel: 12 x 16, acrylic

side pannels: 6 x 12, acrylic 

This is the fourth work of the Monstrous Children series.  I will most likely be showing/selling it as a triptych in a format that is reminiscent of an altar-piece.  This work is inspired by Eastern Orthodox icons, and while I'm far from being religious, I have to give props to the Christians of Byzantium for creating some seriously aesthetically pleasing works of art.. even with all the weird proportions.. what am I talking about; especially because of the weird proportions.

This work affirms that even Christ, as a child, would have thrown a tantrum if he had dropped his ice cream (had there been such a thing as ice cream during his childhood).  It very simply humanizes a figure that has for so many decades been, not dehumanized, but super-humanized.  Here the idea of a divinely cool, calm and composed Christ (even as a child) is exchanged for a more realistic and common depiction of a young (spoiled) child.  If anything, although considered heretical/blasphemous, to depict Christ in such a way, would be in line with the original message of Jesus--back when what we now know as Christianity was merely the "New Judaism"--as it evokes egalitarianism, as opposed to an entirely hierarchical view of the Christ figure.

I chose to depict Mary as a doe firstly because of the qualities I would associate with that animal: kind, caring, and gentle, and secondly because of the expression "doe-eyed", which refers to someone who appears innocent, or even credulous/unquestioning...  Attributes commonly associated with the figure of Mary.  All the while I sought to promote the importance of non-human beings with whom we share the earth, by putting a wild animal in the place of a central figure to one of the most influential world religions.  By placing a doe in Mary's place, I  wanted to re-direct the praise, respect and reverence given to a mytho-historical character, towards the wildlife, which is taken for granted by society. 

The two side panels also speak to that effect.  By replacing the figures who would normally be depicted in side panels (John the Baptist, Adam, Eve, Saints, Apostles, etc.) I am once again emphasizing the importance of non-humans... Both of which are animals associated with "pagan" mythology and worship.

Ok I've got lots of artworks to post on here, but I will try to space them out.  Mainly since I get the feeling that after the artshow (on September 26th, at Invisible Cinema-be there!) I will have to hit the books extra hard.  Ah well, such is life.

That's all for now.

Peace be upon you xo

baby steps

all of the above: 8x10, acrylic

The culture of over-abundance/over-consumption, which is so prominent in North America, has inspired me to create the Monstrous Children series.  It consists of a few acrylic paintings that depict the (somewhat exaggerated) behaviors of children who have been raised always getting what they want.  Each child is eating a popsicle of some kind, which happens to be dripping all over their over-the-top outfits/costumes (i.e. not the kind of clothes conducive to running around in the mud).  Here the parents are to be held responsible for presenting their children with overbearing luxury from a young age...  An environment that is bound to promote some serious brattiness.  The positive side of the inspiration for these is that I actually do love children and think they're absolutely hilarious/brilliant.. most of the time.    

These works will be shown at the Wurm Gallery/Invisible Cinema (319 Lisgar) from September 26th to October 26th, alongside the  works of Adrienne Turner and Guen Douglas. 

It will be my first official art show, which is SO exciting! 

..Ok this is my first blog and I already feel I might spend more time on here than I should.  Although this blog-thing does seem more exciting than the dense Hegel essay sitting on my bed,  only one of the two is being graded.

Until next time! xo