TRUTH, BEAUTY, LOSS, REDEMPTION
When I began the painting titled "Saving Grace," I had been deeply immersed in reflecting on, reading about, and listening to various lectures concerning the concepts of truth, beauty, loss, and redemption. This exploration was in relation to the significant currents of expression and behavior characteristic of our times, which greatly influenced my artistic vision.
In early 2020, just before Covid-19 became a pandemic, I noticed major changes in the world. I felt that beauty was fading from our culture, seen as unnecessary and superficial. Instead, crudeness took over our societal norms. Truth had become a tool for manipulation, serving whichever party needed it. This shift was partly due to the relentless influence of media used by opportunists to manipulate thoughts through deception and emotional addiction. Emotional addiction targets the vulnerable for profit, leading to a lack of integrity in personalities that resonate with many today. This condenses power in leaders who embody manipulation, driven by greed and deceit. Ultimately, emotional manipulation is abuse inflicted by an abuser with harmful intentions.
I felt hopeless. It looked like our cultural achievements and civility were declining. We seemed to have lost social manners and respect for nature's beauty. The foundations of free thought and expression, along with democracies worldwide, were at risk.
Covid-19 turned into a pandemic. The world became sick due to carelessness and a lack of respect for the limits between people and nature. Millions lost their lives, many without reason. Leaders responded too slowly and avoided responsibility. I sensed that my way of life, already fragile and unpredictable, was close to falling into chaos.
I had to create a painting to show how I felt about everything because it needed to be shared. Art has a mysterious quality, even for the artist. There’s a deep urge from the heart and mind to bring feelings into the real world, not just keep them in the imagination. I had previously made a large charcoal drawing called Falling to Love that hinted at my feelings. It seemed like something precious was rapidly falling away, and there was nothing to stop it.
Falling To Love, charcoal & pastel on paper, 48” x 36”, 2019
In the drawing "Falling To Love," a theme emerged inspired by the model Leah, who posed lying down. I drew her from multiple angles in a vertical style, cutting off the third view just below her waist, creating a feeling of falling. I wanted to explore where she might be falling, so I expanded the bottom of the composition and transferred the outlines to a large canvas. I worked on the painting daily during the Covid-19 lockdown from 2020 to spring 2021, making several changes along the way. I used mostly black paint, limiting other colors to reflect the profound sadness from the lives lost during the pandemic. The line work from the drawing remained vital to the painting, conveying the movement and emotions of human life amid global change.
In counterpoint to the theme's downward direction, I created a large male hero figure entering the scene with an upward movement. I call him male because he represents the highest physical strength, but I used my own face for the head, mixing my likeness into the work. Symbolically, he combines male strength with female intellect. From a void in the lower right corner, a flurry of doves flies upwards, increasing the drama of the scene. Is there hope for redemption? If we can blend great strength with female insight and empathy, can we protect what is most valuable?
This hero symbolizes strength and the rise of helpers during human crises. They come from diverse backgrounds, committed to understanding our existence through years of focused study. They learn about our nature and gather data to find patterns that can help us predict and cope with life's challenges. Many are part of "Tough Tech," a group using innovative technologies to tackle society's biggest problems. They provided crucial support during the Covid-19 pandemic, saving many lives while also battling chaos—where the vulnerable struggle in ignorance and apathy. Addressing this requires politics that are courageous, compassionate, and progressive.
"Saving Grace" expresses movement, deep feelings, tragic beauty, and spiritual thoughts experienced by the artist at a specific time, shown in a classical S-curve design. It serves as a metaphor with meanings that vary with each viewer. Ideally, it connects those who wish for a world that honors past achievements while learning from mistakes—a world progressing towards intelligence, peace, and the vital importance of truth, beauty, and salvation.