aka The Thinkers, aka Sunrise/Sunset, aka Iphigenia in Tauris & Buddha on the Beach, diptych, oil on canvas, 22″ x 34″ each, $748 each
2013. In June, as a birthday present to myself, I created two paintings which constitute today’s art, a diptych inspired by a charcoal sketch by 19th century Russian artist, Valentin Serov (1865-1911), illustrating a moment of repose and reflection from the ancient Greek story of Iphigenia in Tauris. My aim was to create a pair of Him and Her paintings suitable for the DaVinci Art Alliance’s Exotica show scheduled for July. Disappointingly, neither painting was selected by the show’s juror, so instead I entered the pieces in the Plastic Club’s non-juried group show, ‘Scapes, which featured a wonderful selection of landscapes, seascapes, skyscapes, cityscapes, even mind escapes – an excellent show that was up for the month of September.
These two pieces invariably remind me of a rather silly old rhyme from childhood: “Back to back, they faced each other, Drew their swords and shot each other.” Perhaps that’s just the nature of heavy thinking? Perhaps that’s why these two paintings are my way of saying, to myself or anyone else who’s looking or listening, “Lighten Up!” And with a final nod to Neil Young…
“Don’t let it bring you down
It’s only castles burning,
Find someone who’s turning
And you will come around.”
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