And so it is finished.
Did I achieve what I set out to do with the concluded collection?
The thirteen collection requires the viewer to observe and digest each painting with an open mind. Not to take every detail at face value but consider the possibility of symbolism, irony, ambiguity, abstraction and at times audacious fantasy which has been used to portray sensations felt through life (not necessarily the artists own) in varying degrees through each scene.
And that’s what each painting should be considered, a scene. Imagine being led into a room where a movie you have never seen before has been playing for an unknown time but is paused on one crucial scene and you are asked to determine from that single still image what has played out so far to get the movie to that point, not only the characters you can see before you but the characters out of shot, what is happening now, past and what their fate is beyond.
Could you tell whether Brad Pitt was the victim or perpetrator as he holds up his wife’s decapitated head on freeze frame without watching the full movie? Would you know the pain and suffering that of Smeagel who was once a gentle Hobbit as you view the creature he has now become known as Gollum sleazily plotting the death of Frodo to regain the ring that was once his without watching 9 hours of the Lord of the Rings? If you looked upon Batman would you think of him a villain, or perhaps someone playing out a sexual fantasy or just a fucking weirdo rather than the hero he truly is? The same analysis can be true of real life the wife defending herself from a rapist; or a conniving bitch who plotted to murder her husband for a large insurance policy but got caught and made up a story of rape to avoid punishment? Life can only be viewed from the angle you see unless you’re willing to open your mind and consider all the possibilities.
Did I achieve what I set out to do with the concluded collection?
The thirteen collection requires the viewer to observe and digest each painting with an open mind. Not to take every detail at face value but consider the possibility of symbolism, irony, ambiguity, abstraction and at times audacious fantasy which has been used to portray sensations felt through life (not necessarily the artists own) in varying degrees through each scene.
And that’s what each painting should be considered, a scene. Imagine being led into a room where a movie you have never seen before has been playing for an unknown time but is paused on one crucial scene and you are asked to determine from that single still image what has played out so far to get the movie to that point, not only the characters you can see before you but the characters out of shot, what is happening now, past and what their fate is beyond.
Could you tell whether Brad Pitt was the victim or perpetrator as he holds up his wife’s decapitated head on freeze frame without watching the full movie? Would you know the pain and suffering that of Smeagel who was once a gentle Hobbit as you view the creature he has now become known as Gollum sleazily plotting the death of Frodo to regain the ring that was once his without watching 9 hours of the Lord of the Rings? If you looked upon Batman would you think of him a villain, or perhaps someone playing out a sexual fantasy or just a fucking weirdo rather than the hero he truly is? The same analysis can be true of real life the wife defending herself from a rapist; or a conniving bitch who plotted to murder her husband for a large insurance policy but got caught and made up a story of rape to avoid punishment? Life can only be viewed from the angle you see unless you’re willing to open your mind and consider all the possibilities.
There’s a thin line between pain and passion, life and death, lies and honesty. What do you really know about a person from the exterior or from a brief meeting? The happy person who is really suffering inside with depression or the depressed looking person who is actually content with life but just so happens not to smile. The beautiful girl who’s ugly because of her personality and the girl so beautiful because you can only see her personality. Which is which unless you get to know them, understand and to an extent analyse.
Appearances can so often be deceiving so when you peer upon my “thirteen collection,” don’t be so quick to judge them as you see them there may just be a beautiful story unfolding before your very eye’s.
I don’t expect every person’s interpretation to be the same as my own, nor would I expect many to understand it in the slightest as they have not led the same life as me with different expectations and different views and nor would I want someone to. The paintings serve a purpose to challenge the mind of the viewer and to consider their judgement and views on any aspect of life whether it be war, religion, sexual orientation or just the next door neighbour who’s been caught having an affair.
Terrible moments serves to make you understand the beauty of life, how short it can be and that you should live one day at a time and make the most of it. Unsurpassable beauty is all around us if only we could open our eyes. Life should be enjoyed and people should leave anguish and worry to ponder from their grave.
I want the viewer to ponder, consider and judge the paintings and if possible… enjoy a brief affair with their eyes. If you can do that, then I have truly achieved what I set out to do.
Appearances can so often be deceiving so when you peer upon my “thirteen collection,” don’t be so quick to judge them as you see them there may just be a beautiful story unfolding before your very eye’s.
I don’t expect every person’s interpretation to be the same as my own, nor would I expect many to understand it in the slightest as they have not led the same life as me with different expectations and different views and nor would I want someone to. The paintings serve a purpose to challenge the mind of the viewer and to consider their judgement and views on any aspect of life whether it be war, religion, sexual orientation or just the next door neighbour who’s been caught having an affair.
Terrible moments serves to make you understand the beauty of life, how short it can be and that you should live one day at a time and make the most of it. Unsurpassable beauty is all around us if only we could open our eyes. Life should be enjoyed and people should leave anguish and worry to ponder from their grave.
I want the viewer to ponder, consider and judge the paintings and if possible… enjoy a brief affair with their eyes. If you can do that, then I have truly achieved what I set out to do.