Abstract Intermission XXIX

Detail of Intermission XXIX

Another detail of Intermission XXIX

The Past, Present, And Future

I created this painting on the reverse side of a painting I completed in 2008. That painting never really saw the light of day, as it sat in storage soon after its genesis, only to have its stretcher bars removed years later and regress into a rolled-up canvas that was lighter and took up less space. Now transformed once again into a new work of art, with the remains of the past still present but unlikely ever to be seen again. I remember painting that piece and cannot believe it has already been over 12 years ago. Time flies, as the present quickly becomes history.

This painting, titled The Past, Present, And Future, was created in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and completed in December, 2020. The number of Covid infections are increasing at record-breaking rates across the country, each day bringing more infections and hospitalizations than the previous day. As a resident of Los Angeles County, one of the most infected regions of the world, I have no control. And I have no choice but to just let go, allow the powers to play out. The present is bleak and the future uncertain. But there is hope. Effective vaccines have supposedly been invented, and the first wave of distributions have begun. While it remains unclear when the general public may have access to the vaccines, vaccine effectiveness is still questionable.

These are some of things I was thinking about when I created this artwork.

Detail: texture and color

Art In The Time of Corona

This period of time will always be remembered for Covid-19, the coronavirus pandemic that has stopped society as we know it, and the social distancing, quarantines, and stay-at-home orders, in humanity’s efforts to overcome. It is a strange time to be alive. Every artist I know has the capacity to thrive in isolation, but ultimately, people need people.

During my isolation, I recently completed this sculpture of an octopus. Titled The Healer, it is a symbol of adaptability and represents positivity in conquering difficult obstacles. An octopus is an extremely intelligent creature that can adapt to new environments, hide, disappear, squeeze through seemingly impossible passages, hold strong, attack, and regenerate. In our quest to defeat Covid-19, the unique characteristics of an octopus are especially important for us to emulate.

The sculpture is made of thousands of little pebbles. The octopus of course has eight arms that connect to a central mantle, and in this artwork these can be interpreted to be the various human populations of the biggest landmasses that connect to Earth’s mantle.

Strings

I don’t always create “creepy” art, but when I do, I am often asked why. The point is not to create something creepy for the sake of being creepy. I don’t think I’m a creepy person, but the world is full of mysteries, ambiguities, psychological wonders, and downright frightful events. Watch any animal documentary, and everything animals need to survive — food, territory, breeding rights — is a battle, rife with creation and destruction. While human society tries to separate from nature, the battles go on within and between us. These battles are not only physical, but also mental and emotional, sometimes illuminated subconsciously through irrational dreams.

Stop-motion animation is the perfect art medium for trying to make sense of the inexplicable with its inherently ominous quality. I wouldn’t call myself an “animator” in the traditional sense, since my work is more of an art piece, where the visuals, metaphors, and combination of music and emotion are more important than a rational storyline and how the characters move. I prefer the choppiness of stop-motion animation, where the puppets move in somewhat broken or disjointed manner, as this adds a layer of complexity, reminding us of our imperfections while also hinting at something unpredictable. And it helps that unpredictability is essential in any kind of filmmaking.

Blending stop-motion animation with live action, this short silent film follows a working woman through an eerie world, where dark manifestations draw metaphors to current events. Click on Videos above or click HERE to watch.