In an earlier post, I uploaded a few images as well as the synopsis for my latest series. But I will recap a bit. My current work is a reaction to two sources. The first is There She is - Taking a Bath, a short story by Sherwood Anderson. The second is a tale of a recorded duel between artist Edouard Manet and writer and painter Edmond Daughtry. In both stories the lead male feels as if his honor has been tampered with, and in response acts irrationally, losing sanity and one could argue respect. What I found particularly interesting about Manet's tale was his relationship with a pair a boots he purchased the evening before the duel to wear that day. The duel is of no interest; it is the hidden tale of the boots that are beyond fascinating, for they are the most human representation within the tale. After one strike, Manet offers his most prized possession of the time to his opponent; the boots. The same pair of which just the night before he wrote to Baudelaire how remarkable they were. The paintings address themes of loss, remorse, possession, greed and reflection of self. The two images below, are the supposed third and forth paintings of the series, although I am not completely satisfied. There is still a bit of work to be done, and perhaps a fifth painting needed; maybe even a sixth and seventh. Regardless, I am happy with the new direction my paints are taking me. From working on several murals in New York, the flat large shapes of saturated color have a direct reflection in my studio paintings. I am embracing the way my mind sees and comprehends in shapes and am directly translating images onto the panel as I would break them apart in my mind. Well hope you enjoy.
Thanks for reading.
MANet vs. MANet; 2010, oil on wood panel, 48" x 54"
One Size to Small; 2010, oil and acrylic on wood panel, 48" x 48"
