Rumors of War

Rumors of War previously exhibited at my solo exhibition Resist Division in Kyo Gallery in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia through June 2019.

Rumors of War previously exhibited at my solo exhibition Resist Division at Frame of Mind in West Columbia, South Carolina from December 7, 2018 through the month of January 2019.

Also available in limited edition prints.

Rumors of War is a painting that reflects my concern of an approaching war that could destroy our democracy here in the United States and perhaps the world as we know it. In this painting, I make many references to Rome’s transition from a Republic to an empire and how that led to their decline. I do so to draw a comparison to our current governmental bodies and how power can quickly be shifted from representative democracy to one individual.

The image of a bridge from the left corner to the right represents Rome’s transition. Faces in the top left corner of the painting depict senators who are not only watching as this happens, but actively allowing war to take place as one extends his hand and holds the reigns of the horse and chariot, a symbol of his permission to start a war with no opposition. Positioned to the left of the bridge is a soldier, and shown inside his eye is the King, orchestrating the destruction, all from the safety of his castle. I reflect how war creates displacement and refugees in the right-hand bottom corner of the painting using blanketing shapes to create a layered woven effect with numerous people caught up inside it.

In the right corner of this painting I use double imagery to portray a blind-folded woman to indicate we are being kept in the dark about what’s going on. Concealed within this image is another of a mother and child.

The final double imagery seen in this work is found across the middle of the painting and is that of a man wearing a derby hat, representing “Mr. Moneybritches,” the man/men with all the money who are really in control of everything. This image is well concealed within the double imagery of the painting and that technique alone is meant to lend itself to the fact that we’re unaware that he’s always there and that is how he controls us.