execution

Comment

Comment by Resident Curator on April 19, 2021 at 1:57pm

Curator’s Comments:  

It was a real pleasure to revisit your work today when Execution came up randomly on the site. The painting offers all of the juicy, painterly realism I’ve come to admire in your practice, along with layers of psychological tension. The title of the piece and configuration of the large head jutting up from the silver teapot holds overtones of a general addressing his obedient minions. Blinded by his lid hat, the constricted leader holds further associations with armored military personal. The figural quality of the small white creamers is humorous in it’s more subdued and nuanced subtext of immobilized pawns.  But of course, execution through decapitation could instead apply to the “general”.  The reflection of what looks to be the artist at work is a sophisticated take on a conventional visual device, reminding the viewer all is in fact artifice.  The small colored dots (candy?) appear to roll away from the creamers, and into the illusionistic pot.  It’s a gorgeous piece, with dexterous layers of fairy tale and fantasy on top of archetypal reflections. Please consider posting your new paintings. I would love to see how your characters have evolved in recent years.