We Don't Care, Do U?

In We Don’t Care, Do U?, I referenced Francisco Goya’s 1801 royal painting of Charles IV of Spain and his Family.  His painting celebrates sumptuous details in clothing, jewels, and accoutrements.  However, facial expressions, fleshy disfigurements, and grotesque shadows undermine the portrayal of the family as regal and intelligent. Scholars have written that Goya was disappointed with the careless and superstitious mindset of his employer against the Age of The Enlightenment.

In this series of paintings, I try to create a poetic picture that invites viewers to engage with emotional and complex issues swirling in the abstract noise of our political landscape.   My hope is that by infusing my imagery with rich colors and sensuous surfaces that crystallize into pointed humor, the picture will provoke curiosity and dissolve emotional blocks surrounding topics that divide us.

I often draw my compositions and color palettes directly from historical European paintings.  I am particularly intrigued by artists whose works were dense with imagery and commentary about the human condition of their times.  I hope to make connections to past traditions, human genius, and the ongoing struggle with human folly, particularly in relation to power abuse and its consequential suffering.