The values and attitudes of every generation are reflected in its art. This generation is definitely no exception. There is a battle being waged between world views which are diametrically opposed to one another. This polarization is visible in politics, entertainment and culture. In today’s post-modern world, God has been removed and secularism seeks to fill the void. Once God is out of the equation, all objective truths are out with him. Any standard of beauty or aesthetic value is gone. Once objective standards are lost there is no longer any definition of what constitutes art. Historically art ennobles and seeks to reflect a greater good, but today’s art reveals something much darker. The post-modern world is seeking to discredit and destroy any truths which it thinks inconvenient. A small minority of intellectual elitist are attempting to force a sometimes unwilling public to accept it’s hopeless and demented world view as the norm. Many today who want to be accepted by this clique only consider artwork which is cynical and negative to be important. I have chosen uncomplicated subjects such as historical icons because they are something we all have in common. Each of these subjects has meanings which are imprinted in the back of our minds. By manipulating these images, I hope to bring the viewer into a new way of seeing familiar subjects. In today’s world we have a tendency towards deconstruction. Today’s heroes seem small and insignificant compared with those of the past. There is no question that many icons of our culture are less than perfect. But there are plenty of other outlets in art and culture to expose their real or imagined weaknesses. I would rather search for the ideal in these subjects and if possible give them a new dignity. These paintings are not documentaries of their respective subjects per se, but simply representations of the common bonds we all share with them. These formal and sometimes stoic images are a great contrast with bright colors and expressionistic brush strokes. And, hopefully this will give familiar subjects new life.
Tag: Artists
Joke Of The Day
An eccentric billionaire wanted a mural painted on his library wall, so he called an artist.
Describing what he wanted, the billionaire said. ” I am a history buff and I would like your interpretation of the last thing that went through Custer’s mind before he died. I am going out of town on business for the week, and when I return, I expect it to be finished.”
Upon his return, the billionaire went to the library to see the finished work. To his surprise, he found a painting of a cow with a halo. Surrounding this were hundreds of Indians in various sexual positions.
Furious, he called the artist in. “What the hell is this?” Screamed the billionaire.
“Why, that’s exactly what you asked for.” Said the artist smugly.
“No I didn’t ask for a mural of pornographic filth. I asked for an interpretation of Custer’s last thoughts.”
“And there you have it” Said the artist. “I call it holy cow, look at all those f***ing Indians.”
Man Makes Tiny Guns out of Corn Stalks
From Neatorama:
83-year old Leo Clark makes tiny model guns out of corn stalks. Some of them feature moving parts and can be loaded with tiny cartridges, also made completely out of corn. They’re incredibly detailed, right down to the crosshairs in the scopes.
Joke Of The Day
A couple attending an art exhibition at an art gallery was staring at a portrait that had them completely confused. The painting depicted three very black and totally naked men sitting on a park bench. Two of the figures had black willies, but the one in the middle had a pink willy.
The curator of the gallery realized that they were having trouble interpreting the painting and offered his assessment.
He went on for nearly half an hour explaining how it depicted the sexual emasculation of Africans in a predominately white, patriarchal society. “In fact,” he pointed out, “some serious critics believe that the pink willy also reflects the cultural and sociological oppression experienced by gay men in contemporary society.”
After the curator left, a young man approached the couple and said, “Would you like to know what the painting is really about?”
“Now why would you claim to be more of an expert than the curator of the gallery?” asked the couple.
“Because I’m the guy who painted it,” he replied. “In fact, there are no Africans depicted at all. They’re just three coal miners, and the guy in the middle went home for lunch.”
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