Once upon a time, painters in the Western visual art tradition could draw their subject matter from a rich, relatively stable and widely shared cache of mythological, religious and literary stories and figures. Alas, in a post-Christian, post-modern, post-historical secular world the challenge for painters now is to find something to paint that might be recognizable - or at least - meaningful to an audience.
While referencing history in a contemporary work of art risks alienating viewers, my intention and hope is that my paintings will provoke an inquisitive response.
Apologia uses elements of iconic visual and literary works of art to invoke a contemplative ‘old-world’ look and feel. Elements from various art historical moments, periods, individual painters, specific paintings and literary works, along with philosophies of art, are combined to express a mood, an attitude, an idea, or thought about the past. The series represents a sort of visual “defense” of the tradition that has inspired, saddened, outraged, bemused and otherwise nurtured me.
“Apologia Historia Europa”
