Initiated in 2005-present, these abstract personifications interact by way of color, conflict, attraction, action and reaction.
While working on the Iliad Series in the early 2000's, as a respite, my attention often gazed down to the palette; a much more appealing visual than war.
Envisioning each paint color as a god, soldier, friend , love, or foe, I engaged them to surround, touch, unify, dilute, segregate, and transform. Each color has purpose juxtaposed to its neighbor.
Ancient Greeks often to personify feelings and actions so that the squiggle markings, 'words', could be better comprehended.
[example: "Dawn with her rosy fingers...", "Ruin is strong and sound on her feet...", "Then Sleep the still and soft spoke..."]
Contemporary Emojis are visual personifications that invoke and project feelings.
The action of painting exerts mental, physical, psychological and spiritual energies that a gestural line can harness.
View the experimental works on paper relating to personifications.
'Blue vs Yellow', 60" x 48", oil on canvas, 2005
'Black vs Blue', 60" x 48", oil on canvas, 2007
'Red vs Ochre', 60" x 48", oil on canvas, 2007
'Debate', 60" x 48", oil on canvas, 2007
'Old Debate', 60" x 48", oil on canvas, 2007
'Conflict', 60" x 48", oil on canvas, 2007
'Cadmium vs Titanium', 60" x 36", oil on canvas, 2006
'Abduction of Rose Madder', 9" x 9", oil on canvas, 2006 (work abducted)
'Huff', 16" x 14", oil on canvas, 2006 (private collection)
An extension of this series, appropriately titled Theogony works within the original myth struggles of hierarchy within the world of the gods.
Hesiod 700BCE, an ancient western philosopher compiled Theogony, the first chronological composite of the creation myths that defined all primary gods in our universe.
These myths tried to make sense of humanity's origin.
'Kronos' [Theogony], 40" x 30", oil on canvas, 2006
'Eris' [Theogony], 40" x 30", oil on canvas, 2007 (private collection)
'Prometheus' [Theogony], 40" x 30", oil on canvas, 2007 (private collection)
'Giants vs Zeus' [Theogony], 40" x 30", oil on canvas, 2007
'Zeus vs Giants' [Theogony], 40" x 30", oil on canvas, 2007
'Pandora' [Theogony], 40" x 30", oil on canvas, 2007 (private collection)
'Eros' [Theogony], 40" x 30", oil on canvas, 2007 (private collection)

